Life Between The Pages
by The Elite- Girl Meets World
Summary: What happens when the GMW gang read Auggie a story? What happens when they wake up, and nothing is as it seems? What happened? What's going on? Read and find out! Rucas and Faya included. Will be a multi-chapter story. Rated T just to be safe. Probably should be K plus. Lol, just give it a try!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for checking out our story! :D We really appreciate it. **

**We are Pebblemist of LightClan, Cowgirlangel95, Xxxx4evaSummerxxxX, and Bethany Tucker. Together, we are the Elite. 4evaSummer isn't working on THIS specific story, but she is one of us. :) **

**If anyone reading follows one of us, or reads our stories, you might have heard some of us hinting that we were working on a very big project. Well, the wait is over! This is our big secret project!**

**We hope you enjoy this story, it's been work in progress for quite some time. We can't wait to hear your feedback, so please review! Constructive criticism is appreciated, but no flames.**

**The prologue is written by Bethany Tucker with the support and help of Cowgirlangel95. **

**Enjoy!**

**-The Elite**

The Prologue:

"Come on Riley! Just ONE story? Puh-leassse?!" Auggie begged.

"Auggie, I don't have a lot of time. Maya is coming over and we're gonna watch Red Planet Diaries," Riley said, feeling guilty for having to say no to her little brother.

She loved spending time with him, but she had promised Maya that they were going to spend time together today.

Both of them had been rather busy with school work. Well, actually, Riley had been busy. Maya was working on her artwork for the upcoming art show.

Suddenly, there was a loud thwump and a tap at the window, announcing the presence of her best friend.

"That's Maya now," Riley exclaimed.

She ran to her bedroom window, to find more people than she had expected. Lucas and Farkle were there as well.

"Hey guys. What are you doin here?" she asked, letting them in.

"What? You don't want us here?" Farkle asked while doing his best acting routine by pretending to be offended.

"No, it's just that I was only expecting Maya..." Riley explained, glancing at Maya.

"I invited them," Maya said.

Wait. What? Maya loved Red Planet Diaries.

Riley raised an eyebrow at Maya, not understanding where this was going.

_What do you have up your sleeve?_ She thought.

"They weren't doing anything and I figured we can watch the show some other time on the DVR. Let's do something!" Maya explained quickly.

"Alright, then, Auggie wanted me to read him a story, so..if you guys wanna wait here-"

"We could help, if you want," Lucas offered, giving Riley a soft smile.

"Okay!" Riley exclaimed, brightly.

The four of them walked back to Auggie's room.

"Why are they here?" Auggie asked.

"They are going to help me tell you some stories!" Riley explained.

"Yay! Stories!" Auggie exclaimed.

Riley sat on the edge of the bed, and opened the large book of fairy tales that was sitting next to her little brother. She didn't recall seeing this book of fairy tales on the shelf before. Its leather cover was worn from several years of use, and its gold scripting on the front cover was beginning to fade. Riley peeled back the first yellowed page and began to read aloud.

"Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Danielle, but you may know her as Cinderella..."

"Whoa, whoa, Riles," Maya interrupted.

"You aren't going to be reading. I am," she said, taking the book gently.

"What are you doing?" Riley asked.

Maya leaned over and whispered in her ear, "You have your Prince Charming over there," She nodded her head to Lucas, who was sitting beside Auggie and making him giggle. "So YOU are going to be the princess."

Riley blushed. She nodded.

Maya re-read the line, and Riley stepped through the door, and kneeled to the ground, pretending to scrub it.

"Wait, wait. Are you going to act out every story?" Auggie asked, excitement glimmering in his little five year old eyes.

"Oh, Auggie, I don't know about EVERY story, but-" Riley began.

"We can do every story," Farkle put in. "It will be fun!"

"Yeah," Lucas agreed.

Maya nodded.

"Oh, okay then..." Riley said, blushing slightly.

"Read the story!" Auggie urged as he began to bounce up and down on the bed.

"Okay, okay, gosh, Kid. Have some patience!" Maya grumbled.

Auggie eased himself back down under the covers and waited for Maya to continue.

"She lived with her two step sisters and step mother. They treated her like a slave..."

The story went on and on, with Farkle pretending to be the fairy god-mother, which he claimed could also work as a fairy god-FATHER, Riley as Cinderella, and Lucas as Prince Charming.

As the night progressed, they had read Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel.

Every so often, Riley and Maya would switch turns being the narrator, letting the other be an actress.

When it came time to tell Rapunzel, Maya tried to keep her position as narrator. Rapunzel wasn't one of Maya's favorites. She preferred stories like Robin Hood, and she always had.

"Come on, Maya!" Farkle exclaimed. "It'll be fun, you'll see. I'll be the prince!"

Maya glared at Farkle.

"You'll do anything for my attention, won't you?"

Farkle shrugged.

"Please?" he begged, giving her pleading eyes.

Maya sighed and reluctantly agreed, and the four of them continued.

When it came time for the prince to discover Rapunzel in the tower, Farkle didn't say the lines… he sang them instead. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your beautiful long hair, I promise to climb it with good, loving care."

This action took Maya by surprise. She didn't know he could sing at all!

_After all these years and I'm still finding things out about you,_ she thought to herself.

Maya shook her head and continued on, not knowing how long she had zoned out for.

It must have been long enough because Farkle was looking at her with concern.

Once Riley announced 'the end' for Rapunzel, there was no small round of applause like there had been the previous times. The four friends looked at Auggie, and realized that he had fallen asleep.

Despite Auggie being out for the count, they continued on until they couldn't keep their eyes open any longer. One by one, they drifted off to asleep.

The first one was Riley, who unknowingly rested her head on Lucas' shoulder. When this happened, Lucas couldn't help but smile, so when his eyelids started to feel heavier, he rested his head on top of Riley's and wrapped his arm around her, 'protecting' his princess.

The next one to go was Maya. Once she closed the book, she let out a small yawn, curled up into a ball, and laid down next to Riley.

It wasn't long after Maya was asleep that Farkle found himself drifting off. He was asleep before his body found itself next to Maya's.

The room was completely quiet, except for Farkle snoring softly, "Farkle, Farkle, Farkle, Farkle..."

* * *

Riley's eyelids involuntarily winced as she felt the sun's rays brush upon her face.

She went to move her arm over her face, but felt something underneath her fingertips. As she became more aware, Riley felt her back stiffening up against the cold, stone floor. Stone floor?

Where was she?

**Author's Note: So what do you think? Where could Riley be? **

**Please review! We luv y'all! Thanks for reading. It means so much to us all!**

**Hope to see ya next time! :)**

**-The Elite**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hello everyone! Cowgirlangel95 reporting to bring you through the first leg of this story. Thank you to all who have reviewed, favorited, and followed. Now to answer some of your questions, or leave you with more :)**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Girl Meets World or the plot they are going through. I simply own the deviations.**_

Riley's eyelids involuntarily winced as she felt the sun's rays brush upon her face. She went to move her arm over her face, but felt something underneath her fingertips. As she became more aware, Riley felt her back stiffening up against the cold, stone floor. _Stone floor?_ Riley questioned. _Since when is there a stone floor?_ She opened her eyes, expecting to see the ceiling of Auggie's bedroom, but was surprised to see a beamed ceiling standing above her. Riley quickly shot up into a sitting position and looked around.

The whole room she was in had been built out of stone, and only a few openings in the walls provided the available sunlight. Beside her was a small fireplace, filled with ash and soot from the previous night. Riley rubbed her hand over her face, so very confused. She looked down at herself and found that she was wearing a long blueish green dress with an apron cinched around her waist that was covered in dirt; quite different from the one she put on that morning.

Her eyes then drifted to what was lying in her lap. Riley picked it up in her hands and studied its tattered edges and creases. It was a book, one that had obviously been loved and read for years. Riley turned it over and read its title.

"_Utopia_," she said out loud, and immediately her mind flashed with images.

_Little eight year old Riley tried to contain her excitement as Paulette, one of her father's servants, helped her into her dress. "Oh Paulette, I just can't believe it! I get a mother and sisters all in one day! What a gift!" she exclaimed as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her bodice._

_Both Paulette and Louise, another one of the servants, smiled. "I'm sure it will be exciting, our father bringing home a baroness and all. We all know he deserves some happiness in his life after all the time since his wife passed, and raising the child on his own," Louise commented as she placed a stack of clean linens on the chest._

"_I hope she likes me," Riley said as she continued to fiddle with her dress._

_Louise turned around and placed her hand underneath Riley's chin. "She will love you," she responded. "Just be the little angel I know is in there somewhere," Louise finished, referencing the several tomboyish habits Riley had inherited from being raised by her father._

_The sound of a rock pelting the window's edge met the ears of everyone in the bedroom. Riley jumped from her spot and tumbled over her bed, doing her best not to get her legs caught up in her skirt, to reach the window so she could greet the rock thrower._

"_Child, you father will arrive at any moment!" Paulette called after her, but Riley ignored her pleas. _

_When she looked out the window, Riley saw her best friend, Farkle, standing out in the yard with a handful of pebbles. "Farkle I told you, not today!"_

_Farkle dropped the stones he had his hand and looked at Riley. His eyes widened, not expecting to see her so done up. She was wearing a fancier dress that what she typically wore and her long brown hair flowed gently about her shoulders with white ribbons intertwined in it._

"_You look like a girl!" he shouted._

"_Because that's what I am, halfwit!" Riley yelled back, rolling her eyes as she did so._

"_Yes! But today you look it!"_

"_Boy or girl, I can still whip you!"_

"_Ha!" Farkle laughed as he ran towards the back of the manor. _

_Riley dashed out of her room, ran right past Paulette and Louise, to teach Farkle a lesson he would never forget. The two servants simply looked at each other and shook their heads. No matter what they did to try and make her more like a lady, she'd always remind them that despite their efforts, she'd still be daddy's little girl._

_Like predicted, the party containing Riley's father and her new family headed down the pathway towards the house, with Cory leading in front of the carriage on horseback. All the servants rushed towards the front of the house and lined up, all eager to meet the new addition._

_Cory rode up to one of his servants and good friend, Maurice, and dismounted._

"_Good day to you, sir," Maurice greeted. "I trust your journey went well."_

"_It did indeed," Cory responded as he looked around the front part of the manor, his riding coat expanding around him as he did so. "But it appears I am missing a daughter."_

_The carriage driver stepped down and opened the carriage door. The first one to step through the velvet curtains was a girl about Riley's age, perhaps a year older. Her dirty blonde hair was tucked up underneath a coral bonnet, which matched her flowing dress as she stepped out onto solid ground. The next girl also appeared to be around Riley's age, whose hair was the color of hay in the sunlight. Her hair was also tucked up under her forest green bonnet, and her dark green skirts billowed as she hopped down._

_The carriage driver brought his hand in front of the curtains that covered the doorway. A gloved hand placed itself on top of the driver's palm, and the last person gracefully stepped out of the carriage. Once the hired help saw her, they immediately straightened their posture, knowing she was someone of great importance just by the way she held herself. Her ivory skin contrasted her ebony colored hair, which was partly pulled back, and dark eyes. She wore a lighter green dress that swept around her as she walked closer to her new husband._

"_Oh Cornelius, it's absolutely charming," she said as she gazed at the stone house that stood proudly in front of her._

_Before Cory could start showing her around, a young voice shouted, "Papa!"_

_Cory turned around and saw a brown blur rushing towards him, to which he knew it was his daughter. He opened his arms and she jumped into them, happy to be with him again. "Oh-ho!" Cory cried as he spun his daughter around. "Look at you!" he said, noticing the mud on the side of her face, along with some mud streaked on the side of her dress. "And I suppose your friend, Farkle, is around here somewhere?"_

_Riley shook her head. "No sir, I slaughtered him!" she stated proudly as she pointed to something behind him. Cory turned around to see Farkle walking up, completely covered in mud._

_Cory let out another laugh as he set Riley down. Another small chuckle also rung through the air. Riley looked over and saw the girl in the forest green dress covering her mouth with her hand as she looked at Farkle._

"_Well, it appears you have! But I was hoping to present a little lady. No matter," he said as he knelt down to his daughter's level. "Riley, I would like for you to meet Baroness Rodmilla De Ghent, and her daughters Melissa," he said, gesturing to the one wearing the coral dress, "and Maya," he finished, extending his hand towards the one wearing green, and who had laughed at Farkle._

_Riley smiled towards the second daughter she was introduced to. She had a feeling that they would get along quite well._

_The baroness gave her a small smile. "Hello, Riley. At last we meet; your father speaks of nothing else. Girls, say hello to your new stepsister."_

_Both girls curtsied and greeted, "Mademoiselle." _

_OoOoO_

_Riley sat atop of her bed as Cory walked towards him with a cloth bag in hand. "I brought you something," he said, handing her the bag._

_She eagerly took it, the crackling fire bringing out the excitement in her eyes. Riley reached into the bag and pulled out a book with one word scripted on the cover._

"'_Utopia'," she read._

_Cory nodded as she sat on the edge of the bed. "It means paradise," he replied as he took the book from his daughter's hangs. "It's a bit thick for an eight year old, but I figured we could add it to our library."_

"_Will you read some?" Riley asked with pleading eyes as she crawled underneath the covers._

_Cory shook his head. "Not tonight. I'm a might tired."_

"_And you're a husband now!" Riley grinned._

_He nodded and let out a soft chuckle. "Yes, I'm a husband now. Do you like them?"_

_Riley nodded. "Very much. Did you see the way they ate their supper? It was perfect! Like a dance!"_

"_I'm glad you like them. Because I have to leave in the morning."_

_Riley sat up in bed, clearly upset with her father's news. "But you just got back!"_

_Cory sighed. "I know, but I'll only be gone three weeks."_

_Riley shook her head. "One."_

"_Two," he replied, offering her a counteroffer._

"_One!"_

"_Two!"_

_Riley shook her head, and Cory knew there was only one way to solve this._

_Both of them held out their fists, ready to duel it out with the battle of rock, paper, or scissors. They pounded their fists against the pillows twice in unison, and then threw out their 'weapon' of choice. Cory threw paper, and Riley threw scissors, making her the victor._

"_Ha!" Riley exclaimed._

_Cory sighed once again. "Alright, one. Now, off to sleep with you," he said just before he placed a kiss on Riley's forehead and headed out of the room._

_OoOoO_

_Cory stepped outside and was met by everyone standing in a line in front of the house like they did yesterday. As his feet met the dry dirt, a sudden pain shot through Cory's hand and arm. He bent his arm a few times to try and make it subside before he looked up at his family._

"_What is this? Never have I seen so many gloomy faces!" he said as he placed his hands on Rodmilla's shoulders. "I shall only be gone a week."_

"_Then go," his new wife said. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll return." She placed a farewell kiss on his lips, and then Cory made his way down the line to Riley, who was looking down at the dirt._

_Cory placed a hand under his daughter's chin and had her look up at him. "I'm trusting you to help take the reins around here. The baroness is not used to getting her hands dirty."_

_Riley nodded as Cory placed a kiss on her cheek. "I love you."_

"_I love you, too," she replied, giving him a small smile._

_Cory bid everyone farewell once again and mounted his horse._

_Maurice came over and picked up the other rein and handed it up to Cory. "Here you are, sir."_

_The pain Cory felt a few minutes ago had returned, except this time it was a bit stronger. Cory shook his hand, and took the rein from his servant. "Thank you," he responded. Cory pressed his heels into the horse's side, and began his journey._

_After the horse had taken a few strides, Rodmilla clapped her hands. "Come along, ladies. Back to your lessons." With that, the three De Ghents turned towards the house, but Riley shook her head._

"_Wait, it's tradition! He always waves at the gate."_

_Rodmilla simply stared at Riley for a moment, and then headed inside with her two daughters following close behind her._

_Riley dismissed the others from her mind, and rushed to another part of the path, so her father would be able to see her when he'd stop to wave._

_Cory didn't make it halfway to the gate. The pain was back, and it began to crawl up his arm. He let out a soft groan as he felt the pain intensify as it got closer to his chest. Once the pain reached his heart, he couldn't take it anymore. Cory collapsed and fell off the horse._

_Riley's eyes widened in horror as she screamed, "Papa!", and took off down the path towards him._

_All of the servants that remained outside saw this too, but they were too shocked to move._

_Rodmilla came out of the house to see what the commotion was about, and saw Cory lying in the middle of the road. She gasped, gathered her skirts, and took off towards him, with Paulette, Louise, and Maurice following close behind her._

_Riley fell to her knees once she reached her father and grabbed ahold of his shirt. "Papa!" she cried again as she shook his arm, trying to get his attention._

_It wasn't long after she arrived that the baroness was also there. "Cory…" she whispered._

_Cory looked up at Riley with tired eyes, then looked at Rodmilla, then back at Riley. He slowly brought his hand up and cupped Riley's cheek just before his eyes closed and his body went limp._

_Hot tears fell down Riley's cheeks as she hung on tightly to her father's hand._

"_No!" Rodmilla cried. "You cannot leave me here! You cannot leave me here!" she sobbed._

_Riley brought herself closer to her father's body. "Papa, please come back!" she pleaded. She began to feel someone trying to take her in their arms. Riley turned her head to see Paulette reaching for her, but Riley knocked her hands away. "Leave me!" she cried. "Papa, please come back!" Riley repeated as she hugged him one last time._

_The baroness had treated her very kindly about a week after her father's death, but after that time she had grown cold towards her and everything had changed. Melissa had taken her room, and Rodmilla had made Riley a servant of the house. The kindess was gone. The only one who remained kind to her after all this time was Maya. Sometimes the two of them would hang out together, along with Farkle. However, the baroness found out, and attempted to end those interactions. And from what Rodmilla saw, they did. Both Maya and Riley made sure to keep their fun times together a secret from her. _

Riley came out of the whirl of thoughts as her eyes began to fill with tears. She could remember doing those things, but knows that she didn't do them! _What is going on? At least Maya and Farkle are nearby, but what about Lucas? Where is he?_ her mind continued to race.

Out of the corner of her eye, Riley saw a wash basin sitting on a small table a few feet from her. "Might as well start off the day somewhat clean," she mumbled as she stood up and headed over to the bench. Riley filled the small bowl with water and was about to scoop up some of the water when she let out a startled cry. She looked down at her reflection in the water as her breathing rate increased. Her face no longer looked to be one of a twelve year old, but one of a young lady… a dirt covered young lady. Riley's cheeks had thinned out a little bit, and her lines had become softer. Her eyes appeared to be filled with much joy, despite the situation she was in, and it appeared to her that her skin had darkened slightly. Whether that was because she still had dirt on her face or if that happened due to what she had previously 'done', Riley didn't care. She actually rather liked it.

The sound of hurried footsteps reached Riley's ears as she turned towards the direction where they were coming from. Her eyes found an older woman, whom she recognized as Paulette from the flash of 'memories' from this lifetime.

"Is everything alright, my lady?" Paulette asked, still calling her 'my lady' because even though the baroness lived here, she still considered this to be Riley's estate.

Riley nodded as she placed her hand on her cheek. "Yes, Paulette, I'm quite alright. I thought I saw something and it startled me I guess… that and I woke up quite upset."

Paulette's eyes drifted towards the fireplace and saw the book lying on the ground. "It's no wonder. Even though that book reminds you of him, it can still be quite hard."

"Yes, it can be," she said quietly, sounding as if she were upset for losing her father, but in all reality she was still confused out of her mind.

"Aye… I hate to do this to ya, but you know how the baroness wants everything for her at a certain time. Now, off with ya to the apple orchards," Paulette responded as she headed back out to the manor.

Riley nodded in response, despite the fact Paulette had already gone. She stepped outside of the building she was in and searched for some sort of bucket so she'd have something to carry the apples back with. The only one she found was currently holding the feed for the hogs, so Riley decided that carrying them back in her apron should be fine.

As she set out for the back of the manor, Riley began to panic. She didn't know _where_ the orchards were! _I can't go back and ask! They think I've lived here all of my life!_ Riley thought, but suddenly something in the back of her mind said, _the back left corner of the manor._

Riley didn't know where this came from, probably another false memory, but it didn't matter. She headed towards that area, and sure enough the orchards were there. As she walked closer, Riley suddenly realized how tall the trees were, and thought of the fact that she didn't have a ladder with her.

"Guess I'll have to climb," she thought allowed. The last time she did that was quite a number of years ago with her father in Central Park. "Shouldn't be too hard, right?"

_**A/N: So, we know the whereabouts of Riley, Maya, and Farkle. To find out about Lucas, tune in next week! I'll be updating once a week, probably on Mondays. Please leave a review before you head out! See you next time!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Hello everyone! Back with another chapter for you. To the guest who said which version of Cinderella our GMW crew is living, you are correct! **_**Ever After**_** is my all-time favorite version of this fairy tale, and I thought it would fit them very well, especially with a few twists ;) Hope you enjoy the next installment!**_

Lucas was frantically tying the bed linens together, and for what reason that was he had no clue. All he remembered was being with Riley, Maya, and Farkle, then opening his eyes and finding himself here, halfway through tying the last sheet together. Once it was tied tightly to the bed post, Lucas dropped the other end of the homemade rope out of the window. He turned back into the room and glanced around, trying to figure out where, and when, he was. His eyes focused at a tapestry hanging over his bed, which bore some sort of family crest…

…and his mind took him to a conversation that had taken place just a few hours ago

_Lucas sat at the dinner table with his arms crossed, and his eyes gazing at the plate of food in front of him. His father, Francis, the king of France, was reminding him yet again of his upcoming arranged marriage with Gabriella, the princess of Spain._

"_You _will_ marry her, Lucas!"_

_Lucas rolled his eyes. "How can I marry someone I do not love, let alone know? It's all simply ridiculous if you ask me."_

"_Well it's a good thin no one is asking you," the king replied in a low growl, slamming his fork down on the heavy wooden table. "The marriage contract is final, and you _will_ obey it."_

_The prince shifted his gaze to match his father's. He knew it was a risky move, but at the moment he didn't care. He met his father's hard gaze and didn't back down._

"_Lucas, dear, won't you please eat something?" the queen asked, trying to change the subject. She highly doubted it would work, but she had to try._

_Lucas stood up rather abruptly, nearly toppling his chair over. "No. I'm afraid I've lost my appetite," Lucas said a bit more tersely than he would have intended, but right now, his anger at his father was too great to control it. "I'm going to retire to my chambers for the night," he finished as he turned away from the table._

_The queen's eyes followed her son's movements. "Sweetheart," she called out. "Please don't run away… again."_

_Lucas stopped in his tracks and turned to give his mother a reassuring, but very fake, smile. "Don't worry, mother. I won't," he replied, and then headed down the hallway to his bedroom._

He shook his head once the memory went to the back of his mind. For him, it was hard to believe that it was him in that memory, for he had a hard time recognizing his own voice. "An arranged marriage?" he whispered to himself. "I have to find the others! I have to get out of here!" His eyes drifted back over to the window and saw the rope swaying gently in the early morning breeze. "Run away; yes… very good idea."

Lucas climbed very carefully out of the window, making sure not to step on his cloak, and quietly made his way down the tower. On his way down, he began to recall other things about this 'life', such as the layout of the castle and where the stables were, which would come in handy for his escape.

Once his feet touched solid ground, Lucas heard his 'father's' voice boom from inside.

"That boy will honor the marriage contract or there will be much to pay!"

"But he does not love her, my lord," he heard the queen respond.

"It's not about love!"

"Perhaps it should be!"

_Thanks for sticking up for me, 'mother',_ Lucas thought as he took off towards the stables. He saddled the nearest horse as quickly as he could, mounted, and took off towards the village. If he knew his 'father', it would only be a matter of time before he sent the guard after him. Lucas urged the horse to increase its speed, hoping to put as much distance between him and the guard as he could.

It wasn't until the sun had risen that he experienced some trouble. Lucas felt the horse's gait change slightly. He brought them both to a stop and dismounted. From what he could tell, just by looking, there didn't appear to be any swelling to indicate any injury. The next thing he looked for made his heart sink. His horse had thrown a shoe, and he couldn't ride him with a missing shoe!

Lucas lowered the horse's back foot and stood up, letting out a frustrated sigh. To have made it this far and to be stopped by something so small. _Typical._

His eyes began to scan the area, for what he thought was for no reason, until he spotted something a few dozen yards away.

A stable.

A pleased smile came over his lips as he led his steed over to the stable. _Surely the owners will allow me to borrow a horse,_ he thought as he stepped inside.

Lucas took the tack off of his horse, led him into an empty stall, and began to saddle up the horse nearest him: a beautiful black one. Once ready to set out again, Lucas mounted and rode towards the open field in front of him. Little did he realize someone _would _object to his taking of _that _horse, and she would let him very precisely.

* * *

Riley let go of the tree's branch and landed softly on her feet, attempting to do her best to not worsen any sore spots she received from falling out of the first tree she scaled. Climbing was a lot harder than she remembered; then again, Riley was still not used to her longer limbs yet.

She crouched down and began to sort through the apples she had knocked down, and separated the bruised ones from the others. As she did this, Riley heard a thundering sound coming from somewhere behind her. Riley looked towards the road and saw many members of the royal guard speeding along as if they were in the midst of a great hunt.

Riley watched them intently as they passed. Once they were out of sight, she scooped up all of the good apples, placed them atop of her apron, stood up as she picked up the corners of the white cloth, and headed back to the house. It was quite a walk, but Riley didn't mind it. She rather enjoyed it, actually.

Once Riley was a few paces from the main gardens, she heard the sound of hoofs pounding against the ground, and they were coming closer to where she was. Riley turned around and saw a hooded rider, riding across the fields – on her father's horse.

Anger surged through Riley's chest as she headed towards the rider, "Oh no you don't," she growled.

She quickened her pace as she grabbed one of the apples she was carrying while dropping the rest on the ground. Once the horse and rider were in range, Riley halted in her tracks and threw the apple with keen precision, hitting him on the forehead. There was enough force behind it to knock the rider off of his mount and sent him tumbling to the ground.

"Thief!" Riley cried as she picked up the other apples she dropped. "This will teach you for stealing my father's horse!" she said forcefully as she continued to pelt the man with the fruit.

"Please," he begged as he got to his feet and tried to shield himself behind the horse. "My own has thrown a shoe and I was merely borrowing him."

"And what is our choice? To let you?" Riley asked as she threw the last apple at the man's heels. He lost his balance and fell onto the ground, landing on his back as a groan escaped his lips.

The man frantically stood up and waved his arms about, trying to get his hands free of his cloak. Once he flung the material away, Riley saw the crest of the royal family perfectly embroidered on his tunic. She felt her knees give out from underneath her as she bowed down to the prince. It was an odd feeling, for she felt that she was not in control of her own movements.

"Forgive me your highness! I did not see you!"

The prince looked down at the girl who was on her hands and knees before him, her hair covering much of her face. "Your aim," he began as he rubbed the now bruised area of his forehead with his hand, "would suggest otherwise."

"And for that, I know I must be severely punished. Death, if you wish it, my lord," Riley said. _Oh wouldn't that beat everything,_ she thought. _ I get myself killed before I can contact Maya, Farkle, or Lucas._

The prince grimaced a bit. "Then speak of this incident to no one, and I shall be lenient," he replied as he mounted the horse once again.

"Sire, we have other horses… younger if that is your wish," Riley pleaded as she glanced up towards the prince, not being able to see his face due to his back facing her.

"All I wish is to be freed from the gilded cage I have been forced into," he replied as he reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a small pouch. The prince turned the bag over and emptied its contents right in front of the girl. "For you silence," he explained, and then took off across the field and out of sight.

Riley looked at the golden coins that glistened in the sun's light in front of her. From the back of her mind, she started to form an idea. Again, like she had no control over her movements, Riley collected the coins and placed them in a small pouch that hung from her apron. _I know just what to do with these_, she thought as she picked up the apples and dashed towards the house.

She had reached the gardens near the back of the house once again, and heard a voice shout from inside.

"I said I wanted a four minute egg, not four one minute eggs… and WHERE is our bread?!"

Riley's 'memories' told her that it was the voice of Melissa, her stepsister that Rodmilla was determined to have marry the prince somehow. She quickened her pace and stepped inside, just as she heard the sound of her stepmother's voice calling for her.

"Coming!" Riley answered as she quickly dropped the apples into the wicker basket.

"Oh, she's in one of her moods," Paulette warned. "It makes me wonder if the sun rose at all this morning."

A huge grin spread across "Yes, Paulette it did," she replied cheerfully as she dumped the golden coins onto the preparation table. "And it's going to be a beautiful day!"

Paulette's mouth fell open as she gazed at the money. "My goodness! Where did you get all of this?"

"From an angel of mercy," Riley felt herself explain as she gathered what the baroness needed. "And I know exactly what to do with them," she said as she turned towards Louise.

"Maurice?" Louise choked.

Riley nodded. "If she can sell your husband to pay her taxes, then these can surely bring him home! They'll have to let him go!"

"But he's been sold again… he's bound for the Americas!" Louise exclaimed.

Before anyone could answer, the baroness called out again, "We are waiting!"

Riley picked up the bread, salt, and Melissa's egg while Paulette gathered the coins. "Ooh, make haste, mistress! For these coins are as good as hers," she explained as she put them back into Riley's pocket. Riley nodded and rushed up the stairs. Once in the dining room, she drastically reduced her pace and stepped inside. As she stepped inside the room, Riley looked up at the ladies sitting in the room, and nearly choked when she saw Missy Bradford sitting across from Maya. _Melissa… Missy, of course._

Riley set Missy's egg in front of her and placed the bread and salt on the table. "Good morning madam, Melissa, Maya… I trust you slept well."

Maya muttered a response, something sounding like, "Yes, thank you."

Rodmilla rested her head on her hand. "What kept you?"

Riley swallowed. She couldn't tell her what _exactly _happened. "I fell out of the orchard, but I am better now," Riley explained, telling her stepmother part of the truth.

Melissa shook her head as her eyes looked over at Riley. Looks like someone has been sleeping by the fireplace again. My, my, look at you… covered in ash and soot. Why don't you sleep with the pigs, Cindersoot, if you insist on smelling like one?"

Riley felt her blood start to boil. Whether Missy was actually a part of this somehow or not, the book cast her part well… a little _too_ well.

"Melissa, that was rather harsh," Rodmilla said, somewhat scolding her daughter. The baroness shifted her gaze to Riley. "But really, Riley. Perhaps there is something you can do about your appearance. It hurts me so that you don't consider yourself to be one of my daughters."

_Yeah, I'm definitely one of your daughters when you make me work for you!_ Riley's thoughts screamed as she tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "I do try stepmother. There are often times I think about how I should dress, how I should act –"

Rodmilla waved her hand. "Calm down child," she scoffed, waiving her hand through the air.

"Yes, my lady," Riley said , then took a few steps to leave, but paused. "Perhaps if we brought back Maurice I wouldn't offend you so."

Rodmilla dropped her spoon and turned to her stepdaughter. "It's your manner that offends me, Riley. Throughout all of these hard times I have clothed you and cared for you. All I ask in return is that you help me here without complaint. Is that such an extraordinary request? There will be no more talk of servants coming back," she stated bitterly.

Riley nodded and walked out of the room, hearing her stepmother continue to complain. "After all that I do; after all I have done! It's never enough!" Riley heard as she headed back down to the kitchen.

_**A/N #2: Like it? Didn't like it? Let me know by leaving a review! Next chapter should be posted sometime next week. Until then!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Hey all! Back with another chapter for ya. It's shorter than what I've been averaging, but I hope you like it all the same :) Enjoy!**_

Lucas guided the horse along the narrow dirt path, weaving through several different trees of the forest. He desperately wanted to find the others, but he had no clue what to do to find them! Lucas had hoped they would turn up eventually… and he was hoping it would be sooner rather than later. After a few minutes of quiet, the only noise being the hoof beats coming from his ride, the sound of someone's desperate pleas and some other men's laughter reached his ears. Lucas brought the horse to a stop, and he saw a band of gypsies ransacking a small carriage with an old man begging them to stop; the man insisting that he had nothing of interest to them, just pots and pans.

A sharp whistle pierced through the air, causing Lucas' ears to ring despite him being a few dozen yards away. "It's the royal guard!" a gruff voice called out, sending all of the gypsies scurrying off with whatever they could carry.

Lucas looked over his shoulder as he heard the old man start to yell again. He couldn't decipher what the old man was saying because his main focus was on the group of guards riding towards his position. "Oh, I can't believe it," Lucas said under his breath. He pressed his heels into the horse's side and moved forward. He had hoped to continue on by the carriage without any incident, but the old man, who had a long snow white beard and hair, approached him, forcing Lucas to stop.

"The painting, please!" the old man cried. "That man is getting away with it," he finished as he pointed down the path, showing Lucas the gypsy that was riding away with a case hanging from the saddle.

As much as Lucas wanted to help the man, he found himself being forced to say, "The guard will assist you; I cannot!"

"Please!" the old man repeated. "It is… my life."

Lucas' body groaned slightly, and then let out a sudden cry as he took off towards the thief. In his heart, Lucas was happy to be helping the old man, but he felt that he could not control his actions or his words at certain points. It was as if he was being dictated to accomplish certain tasks, and he did not like that at all.

Within moments, Lucas was fairly close to the gypsy and tried to reach out and grab the metal container that the painting was in, but he was just out of reach. The gypsy saw Lucas' actions, and urged his horse to move faster. Lucas saw this, and did the only thing he could think of to prevent the other man from getting away. He jumped from his ride onto the other horse, and tried to wrestle the painting out of the gypsy's grasp. Despite his efforts, his plan was not working at all. No matter what Lucas did, the other man did not loosen his iron grip on the case.

Suddenly, the horse they were riding reared onto its hind legs, knocking both men off and sent them tumbling to the ground. Lucas got to his feet first, and took advantage of this. Just as the gypsy got his feet underneath himself, Lucas tackled him back to the ground, causing the gypsy to drop the case. The only flaw with Lucas' plan was that they were both near the drop off to a steep hill that led down to the river, and Lucas' jump sent them both sliding down the hill, just after Lucas picked up the painting.

There was nothing they could do to stop themselves, so they just let gravity take them down. Rocks, twigs, and tree roots grabbed at the two men, succeeding in giving them bruises, lacerations, and quite possibly a twisted joint or two.

The trip down the steep hill didn't last long before the drop went straight down. As the two men flew through the air, terrified shouts escaped their lips as the surface of the river came closer and closer.

Lucas gritted his teeth as his body hit the water, causing some of his muscles to scream in pain. Once his head returned to the surface, Lucas spit out the water that made its way into his mouth, and proceeded to swim over to the shore, with the painting in tow. He stepped onto the pebble shoreline and began to wring out his clothes to the best of his abilities. As the sun began to peak through the clouds and sent a welcoming warmth through the prince's body, something caught Lucas' eye. His reflection. He appeared much older; his face being more toned, along with his hair being a bit longer than he cared for. Lucas noticed he also appeared to be much taller than he last remembered. Funny how he didn't notice it last night, but then again, Lucas had other things on his mind.

After he came out of his fog of realization, Lucas picked up the painting and proceeded to limp back up to where the old man, and presumably the guard, were waiting for him.

OoOoO

The old man looked up and saw Lucas hobbling towards him, with the case in his hand. "Oh thank goodness," he cried as the prince drew nearer.

"Lucas, you promised!" the head of the guard, Captain Laurent, scolded.

"I know," Lucas replied as he handed the painting back to the old man. "I lied. I thought I'd see the world before I gave up my life for God and country," he explained, the words sounding somewhat forced as he spoke, but apparently no one else thought the same thing, for the conversation continued.

"Then why on earth did you stop?" the old man chimed in.

"Because I lack conviction," Lucas said through gritted teeth as he moved, the pain shooting through his body. "Which you seem to have in spades. You claimed it was of life and death."

The old man smiled as he removed the painting from the case and unrolled it. "A woman always is, sire."

Lucas looked over the man's shoulder to get a better look at the painting. It was of a woman, and Lucas thought it appeared familiar to him.

"Signore Da Vinci has been invited to the palace to be the artist in residence," the captain explained.

"Leonardo Da Vinci?" Lucas asked as his eyes followed the painter eagerly.

"Michelangelo was stuck under a ceiling in Rome. I'm merely a second choice," Da Vinci said as he put the painting away.

"What luck!" Lucas exclaimed as he felt the forced feeling come over him once again. Whatever it was, he hoped to rid of it soon. "Here I am on my way to Genoa and find my salvation on the highways!" He placed his hands on the painter's shoulders. "Sir, you are the very founder of forward thinking, and my father is the king of backward. Perhaps you could talk him into the sixteenth century?"

Da Vinci eyed the prince carefully. "Captain Laurent, do translate?" he asked, trying not to let his fear and confusion show in his voice.

"The prince suffers from an arranged marriage… amongst other things."

Lucas felt himself turn and glare at the captain of the guard, but found himself thinking, _you have no idea…_

_**A/N #2: So, what did you think? Let me know by leaving a review! It only takes a moment :) The next chapter will make up for how short this one was, I promise. Until then!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Happy Easter Monday! Hope you enjoy the latest chapter. And like I promised, it's quite a bit longer than the last one.**_

"You're a painter?" Maya asked Farkle, with a hint of amusement in her voice, as she gazed around the room.

Farkle shrugged. "I didn't pick this role," he defended.

Maya let out a soft chuckle as she leaned up against the wall near the staircase and shook her head. "I just find it funny since you don't really have any artistic talent at all."

Farkle wrinkled his nose at Maya as Riley interrupted their argument. "Guys, we don't have much time to argue. We need to figure out what's going on here!"

"I think it's quite obvious," Farkle commented as he sat down on a nearby stool. "We're inside the storybook."

"Yeah, but which fairy tale are we in?" Riley asked. "With my 'stepmother' and 'stepsisters', it reminds me of Cinderella, but I've never seen or heard of a Cinderella story like this one before."

"That doesn't mean one like this doesn't exist," Farkle pointed out.

"But if we're all here, where is Lucas?" Maya asked.

"Better question," Riley began. "Why is _Missy_ here?"

"I think whatever universe this book pulled us into is just using Missy's image. The last time I had control over my own actions, I asked her why she was here and she gave me a strange look, and then called me her 'idiotic sister'," Maya explained.

"You felt a strange pull, too?" Riley asked. "What about memories? Do you remember doing things that you _know_ you've never done before?"

Both Maya and Farkle nodded, but Farkle proceeded with a verbal answer. "I think it's the book making sure the plot remains intact. Then there will be certain parts that we will live, but they aren't essential to the story, so we have a bit more freedom to talk about whatever we want… like how to get out of here."

Both girls nodded. "But where is Lucas?" Riley asked as she glanced out the window. "Who would he be?"

"My guess would be the prince if this is indeed Cinderella," Maya responded. "I mean, it would make sense."

Riley shook her head. "No, he's not the prince."

"How do you know?"

As much as she wanted to say how she knew, Riley couldn't say. It was as if the book didn't want her to say. "I just know…" she trailed.

"Okay," Farkle nodded. "But I'm assuming that one of us will come across him soon. If we're able to do so, whoever sees him first should let him know our plan of getting out of here… whatever that is."

"I think we should just play this thing out," Maya suggested. "Maybe once we complete it, everything will be put back to normal."

"Sounds reasonable," Farkle responded while Riley simply nodded.

"Okay, I better go back down there before Rodmilla de Grouch realized I'm gone. I'll see you guys later," Maya said. Her two friends laughed at what she called the baroness as she headed down the stairs.

"That is such an accurate description of her," Riley commented once Maya was back outside.

Farkle nodded as he stood up. "It sounds it. So, what was it you needed my help with?"

Riley smiled and explained her idea to Farkle, feeling the pull of the book influencing her words. Once she was finished explaining, Farkle's face fell and he walked over to the window. "Have you lost your mind?" he asked. He turned back into the room to find Riley starting to change out of her over dress. "Do you know what the punishment is for servants dressing above their station? Five days in the stocks!"

Riley shook her head as she stepped out of the dress. "You would do the same for me, admit it," she replied, poking him in the chest and then bopping him on the nose.

"Me?! Pretend to be a courtier?" he asked in shock as Riley headed behind the changing screen. "Prouncing around like some nobleman? I've never been to court, and neither have you!" Farkle pointed out.

Riley's head popped out from behind the screen. "Then I won't be recognized. Now, hand me that gown and I'll be on my way."

Farkle shook his head as he took the gown in his hands. "They'll never buy it; you are too sweet," he said as he flung the golden gown over the screen.

"They'll also never buy a servant with twenty gold francs either!" Riley argued as she caught the dress. "I am Maurice's only hope."

Farkle headed back towards his easel, picked up a mortar and pestle, and began to mix together some paint. "And what about the baroness? What did you tell her you were doing?"

"I am picking wildflowers. Farkle, can you still see her?"

"She's buying a brooch for Melissa," he replied as he added some more powder to his current paint mixture.

Riley groaned. "Unbelievable. She ignores the manor, blames us for her debt, and still pretends to have money to spend on whatever she pleases," she complained as she finished putting on the gown. "Alright, I'm coming out. Now don't you dare laugh," Riley called out. She nervously stepped out and saw Farkle looking at her, giving her an approving smile. "I'm wearing yards of fabric and I still feel naked," she commented.

Farkle looked into Riley's eyes and saw her confidence starting to falter. He set down the paint mixture and walked over to her. "Now, if you're going to play a noblewoman, you have to act the part." He placed his hand underneath her chin and had her look at him. "You look down to no one."

She smiled lightly, but said, "I am just a servant in a nice dress."

Farkle shook his head as he took ahold of her hand. "Come, we must do something about that hair," he said as he led her out of the room.

* * *

Lucas rode down the path towards the stone house he borrowed the horse from earlier that day, with the guards following close behind him. They hadn't reached the front door yet, but the wooden door swung open and Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent stepped out. This was fine with Lucas; that meant he could stay up on his mount, and he would not have to worry about moving his sore muscles.

"Oh, your highness!" the baroness said a bit too cheerfully as she bowed before him. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Yes, well… I'm returning your horse, madam," he said as he motioned for one of the members of the guard to hand the horse over to one of the servants.

"Oh? Was it missing?" she asked as she straightened her knees.

"Yes, I took the liberty of borrowing it this morning. I'm afraid I might have scared one of your servants… a young lady with a rather forceful demeanor," he explained as he brushed his thumb gently over the bruise he had received from her.

The baroness opened her mouth to reply to explain the actions of the servant, that stupid country girl, Riley. She would have to give her a piece of her mind when she returned. But before she could say anything, the door swung open again, and two young blondes came stumbling through, one of them laughing at the other for their fall.

"Oh ladies… there you are," the baroness said.

Once the two young ladies straightened their posture, Lucas felt his stomach drop when he saw who they were. He desperately wanted to say something, but he couldn't find a way to speak his mind.

"Your highness, I'd like to present Melissa Louise of the house of Ghent," Rodmilla announced as she gestured towards her first daughter, "and Maya."

Lucas' eyes shifted between the two of them. Missy looked proud and confident, while Maya's eyes were wide. To him, it looked like she also wanted to say something, but something was holding her tongue.

"Forgive me, ladies," he said as he realized he had been silent for far too long. "You seemed to have blossomed overnight." _Literally,_ he thought.

Rodmilla stepped up to the prince's horse and placed her hand on its neck. "We are so looking forward to the celebration of your engagement to your own Spanish rose."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Yes, well… there have been some new developments regarding Spain." His eyes landed on Melissa, and he noticed the golden brooch that sat just beneath her neckline. "Melissa that brooch is…" he trailed, trying to think of a word that would describe the brooch without offending her. To be honest, Lucas thought the thing looked hideous. "Stunning," he finally said.

"This old thing? You are too kind," she purred, sending a chill down Lucas' spine.

Rodmilla's voice filled the air once again. "These developments, I trust are fore the best?"

Lucas bit the inside of his cheek. Melissa and Rodmilla gave him the creeps; he didn't know how Maya put up with it. "Let's hope so. Good day, ladies," he bid and rode off towards the castle.

* * *

Riley dashed up towards the castle grounds as fast as her legs could take her without getting them tangled up in the material of her skirts. After each step she took, Riley's stomach clenched with nerves. She desperately hoped this plan would work. As she stepped through the castle gates, allowing her entry to the main ground in front of the palace, a gentleman called out, "Make way for the lady," to the other men who stood in her path. All the men quickly stepped aside, and Riley walked by them, making sure not to make eye contact as she passed.

She wanted to tuck her hair behind her ear out of habit, but it was pulled back in a jeweled hair net that Farkle had found. Riley didn't know where he found it, and she didn't bother asking. She didn't want to know.

After a few paces, Riley stood and looked up at the castle, and then looked around at the other ladies, trying to gather some quick research before she started to look for Maurice. Soon, Riley walked about to try and find the transport. She was about to head to another section, when she noticed some movement in the corner of her vision. She halted in her tracks and focused her attention on what caught her eye. What Riley saw was Maurice being loaded onto a cart.

Her nerves clenched around her stomach again, making Riley feel like she was going to topple over. She muttered a quick prayer, asking for strength, and headed down towards the cart.

By the time she reached them, the cart was already moving, but this didn't stop Riley. She stepped out in front of the horse and declared in a loud, strong voice, "I wish to address the issue of this gentleman," she said, pointing at Maurice. "He is my servant and I am here to pay the debt against him."

"You're too late," a heavier set man, who appeared in need of a bath, said. "He's bought and paid for."

"I can pay you twenty gold Francs," Riley offered, holding up the pouch containing the money for the man to see.

"You can have me for twenty gold Francs," the man spat. "Now drive on!" he yelled up to the driver.

Riley shook her head in annoyance and grabbed ahold of the horse's rein, preventing them from moving. "I demand you release him! Or I shall take this matter to the king," she threatened, hoping it would scare him into submission.

"The king is the one who sold him. He's now the property of Carcheck."

"He's not property at all," Riley argued. "Do you think it's right to chain people? I demand you release him at once!"

The man lowered his body so his face was even with Riley's. "Get out of my way!" he shouted.

"You _dare_ raise your voice to a lady?" a strong voice said from behind Riley.

The worst part of it was, Riley recognized the voice from earlier this morning. It belonged to the prince. Riley turned around and wasn't prepared for what she saw. The man the voice belonged to was sitting on his horse… and that man was Lucas.

Both Riley's and Lucas' eyes widened as Riley bowed to him slightly. She couldn't believe that it was Lucas she pelted with the apples earlier that day. If she had known, she would have tried and prevented it somehow, no matter what the book wanted her to do.

"I-I'm sorry your highness," the man said, his tongue fumbling over his words. "I meant no disrespect, I'm just following orders; it's my job to take these criminals to the coast."

"A servant is not a thief, your highness, and those who are cannot help themselves," Riley argued.

Lucas found himself raising an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked in a matter of fact tone. "By all means, enlighten us."

Riley shook her head slightly, caught off guard by Lucas' manner, but she didn't let that faze her. "If you suffer your people to be ill-educated and their manners corrupted from infancy, and then punish them for the crimes their first education disposed them, what else can be concluded, sire, that you make thieves and then punish them."

"Well," Lucas began. "There you have it. Release him."

"But, your highness," the man complained.

"I said," the prince spoke in a harsh tone, "release him."

A huge smile spread over Riley's lips as she handed the money over to the man and headed to greet Maurice.

"I thought I was looking at your mother!" the old servant told Riley.

"Meet me at the bridge," she muttered, and then said in a louder voice, "Prepare the horses, we will leave at once." Riley departed from Maurice and approached the prince. "And I thank you, your highness," she said to Lucas, and then found herself heading towards the gate and unable to stop.

Lucas' eyes followed Riley's movements as he slid off his horse and walked after her. Once he was a couple of yards away from her, he called out, "Have we met?" As the words left his mouth, Lucas felt a bit silly for saying them. He had met her before, but he couldn't stop himself from asking the question. Technically, they hadn't met before _here_, where ever here was.

Riley turned her head to look over her shoulder, and then looked back ahead. "I do not believe so," she responded.

"I could have sworn I knew every courtier in the province," he added as he walked beside her.

"Well…" Riley trailed, trying to think of why he wouldn't have known her. "I am visiting a cousin," she quickly said.

"Who?"

"My cousin."

"Which one?" Lucas asked, trying to get her to say a full name so he could call upon her later.

"The only one I have," she replied, still dodging the question.

Lucas stepped in front of her to meet her gaze and started to walk backwards. "Then tell me your cousin's name so I can call upon her to learn who you are," he reasoned, stopping in his tracks in hope that Riley would stop too. But she didn't, so he kept talking, "for anyone who can quote Thomas Moore is well worth the effort."

Riley stopped and turned to face him. "The prince has read _Utopia_?" she asked, her face lighting up as she spoke.

"I found it sentimental and dull," he admitted while he spread his hands. "I confess the life of the everyday rustic bores me."

"I guess you don't converse with many peasants."

"Of course not, naturally," Lucas was forced to reply, the words burning on his tongue because he knew that if he was living his true life during this time, he would be considered a peasant.

"Excuse me, sir, but there's nothing natural about it," Riley said as she began to walk away again, with Lucas following. "A country is defined by its 'everyday rustics' as you call them. They are the legs you stand on and that position demands respect."

For the first time since he saw her, Lucas felt that he had some control over his words and said, "Riley…"

She froze and turned towards him. "Yes?" she weakly responded.

"What is going on? Most of the time I feel like I'm not responsible for my actions, and I'm remembering things I've never done. Have you seen Maya and Farkle? I saw Maya earlier but we weren't able to talk."

Riley nodded. "Yes, I have. Farkle says we've been pulled into the book we were reading to Auggie, and the book has control over most of our actions to ensure the plot is carried out. Missy is here too, only in image though. Right now the plan is to finish this storyline and see if completing it brings us back home."

Lucas nodded. "Anyway, this book cast you well. I can't imagine you anything less than a courtier."

Riley silently gulped. He didn't know her true station, and she couldn't bring herself to tell him, whether it was because of the book or not.

"Riley, I understand that the book is governing us, but please don't find this… me… arrogant," he said. He knew her feelings towards him, and he would do anything to make sure they stayed there for him… because she didn't really know that he had the same feelings for her in return.

"I know it is not you; however, you gave one man back his life, but did you even glance at the others?" She turned to leave again, but Lucas quickly stepped in front of her.

"Please, I beg of you… give me the name you go by here. Any name."

Riley inhaled deeply. "I'm afraid the only name I can leave you with is Comtesse Riley de Lawrence."

Lucas smiled. "Now, that wasn't so bad."

"Oh Lucas," a woman's voice called. "You're back."

Lucas turned towards the woman. "Hello, mother."

Riley's eyes widened and took her advantage of slipping away quietly as she overheard Queen Marie saying that the king wanted a word with Lucas.

OoOoO

Both Maurice and Riley, who was now back in her regular clothes and had her hair free again, headed towards the garden Louise was working in. They still had a few dozen yards or so to go, but Louise looked up from her work and saw them approaching. A muffled cry escaped her lips as she rushed out towards them. Paulette heard Louise, and looked up from her work to see what was going on, and she was greeted with the same sight. Her own cheerful cries filled the air as she headed down towards them. The two of them greeted Maurice with warm embraces, and then invited Riley to join them. Their home was back together

OoOoO

Riley walked into the dining room with the wildflowers in her hand. Both Maya and Melissa were sitting at the table playing backgammon. Without looking up from the game board, Melissa sang, "Somebody's in trouble."

Riley stopped in her tracks and turned to her. "What do you mean?"

"You stupid girl!" Rodmilla shouted as she pushed Riley, sending the flowers she had in her hands flying as she landed in a chair. "It's absolutely deceitful Riley, and I will not have it in this house!"

Riley looked up at her stepmother with confused eyes. "What did I do?"

"Think Riley, think really hard," Melissa answered.

Riley looked over at Maya, who was happy to help her and mouthed 'the horse.'

"Prince Lucas took our horse this morning?" she answered as she looked at the floor.

"Yes!" Rodmilla dragged out. "And that would explain why he came by earlier to return it. Lucky for you," she continued as she walked over to where Melissa was sitting, "Melissa put in a beautiful performance. She and the prince had quite and interlude."

Both Maya and Riley rolled their eyes as Missy spoke. "Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if he drops by later."

"Come, come," the baroness clapped. "I must know what was said. The simplest phrase can have a thousand meanings… he said you were forceful."

"I-I called him a thief, madam," Riley explained, her words getting caught in her throat as she spoke. "I did not recognize him!"

The baroness covered her mouth as she laughed. "Oh Riley… you poor, poor country girl. Now, we must make sure the manor is spotless. We can't have a royal bottom sitting on a dirty chair."

Riley nodded as the sound of shuffled footsteps filled the room.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Melissa spat as everyone's attention turned towards Maurice, who was standing in the doorway.

"I have worked of your… my debts, my lady. They told me I could go home."

"Fine," Rodmilla replied. "Go… catch a chicken."

Maurice nodded happily and headed out to the yard, grateful to be home.

_**A/N #2: How was that? Let me know by leaving a review! See you next week :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Okay, another short one for you. I'm fairly certain this is the shortest chapter in this story. Anyway, enjoy :)**_

Lucas walked into the room where the king was, with Queen Marie close behind him along with a few guards. Their footsteps echoed throughout the halls, but they died down once the vast room was opened in front of them.

King Francis looked up from the map he was hunched over and made eye contact with Lucas. "You are restricted to the grounds."

"Are you placing me under house arrest?" Lucas asked, the sarcasm was dripping in his voice.

The king threw down the compass he held in his hand and allowed it to skid across the table top. "Do not mock me boy, for I am in a foul disposition!" he growled as he placed his fists on top of the map. "And I _will_ have my way or…"

"Or what?" Lucas interrupted. "You'll ship me off to the America's like some criminal? All for the sake of your stupid contract," he spat.

"You are the crown prince of France!" the king shouted, his eyes hardening after each time he spoke.

"And it is my life," Lucas reasoned. _I wish this book would here that, _he thought for a brief moment, but was soon brought back to the current conversation being held.

The queen shook her head and walked over towards where the two men stood. "Francis, sit down before you have a stroke. Really… the two of you," she complained as she turned to face Lucas, seeing her husband obeying her words out of the corner of her eye. "Sweetheart, you were born to privilege, and with that comes specific obligations," she tried to explain, and felt that she did a terrible job at it. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that obeying the treaty was for the best, her heart was on Lucas' side. Marriage should be about love, no matter what your station.

"Forgive me mother," Lucas said back as he sat down on a stair. "But marriage to a complete stranger never made anyone in this room very happy!"

Queen Marie froze where she was, allowing the comment to drift through the air for a while. She knew the comment was directed at her and her husband. And Lucas was right.

The king's cold eyes looked directly at Lucas. "You will marry Gabriella by the next full moon, or I will strike you in any way I please," Francis threatened.

Lucas sighed as he spoke, "What will it be, father? Hot oil or the rack?" he asked, half joking. At the moment, Lucas thought that either of those two options would be better than what he was experiencing right now.

Francis sprung from his chair and declared in a loud voice, "I will simply deny you the crown and live… forever!" he finished, knowing that his words sounded utterly ridiculous.

"Good," Lucas replied as he got to his feet. "I don't want it," he finished, emphasizing each word as he directed them towards his father. Lucas turned on his heel and headed out of the room.

As his boots clicked on the stone floor, he heard the king shout, "He's your son!"

OoOoO

Lucas walked through the gardens with his mother. The sun had long since set, leaving the skies to be filled with the twinkling of stars and the shining moon.

"Who, dear?" Marie asked.

"Comtesse Riley de Lawrence," Lucas repeated. "She is a cousin of… someone. She didn't say."

"Oh, Lucas. There are simply too many courtiers to remember them all, especially by name," she said as the two of them slowly came to a stop.

A sad smile came over Lucas' lips. "I suppose you're right."

A loud voice spoke from behind them, breaking the somewhat pleasant mood that had been forged between the mother and son pair, and grabbed both the prince's and the queen's attention. "In honor of Signore Da Vinci, I have decided to hold a ball. A masque ball. Between now and then, we shall come up with a compromise."

"Compromise?" Lucas spat, not believing the words he just heard. The king was never one for compromise, he had experience that his whole life. Or rather, Lucas _remembered_ experiencing it despite never living it. "You?"

"If love is what you seek, then I suggest you find it before then. For five days hence, you will announce your engagement to the girl of your choice, or I shall do it for you."

Lucas nodded as he absorbed the terms. "And what of your treaty?"

The king rolled his eyes. "Let me worry about Spain," he breathed. "You have bigger problems."

Lucas nodded again as he quietly bid his parents goodnight, and headed back towards the castle. On the way, his mind was swirling with many thoughts and questions about what would happen next. At least now, he had a chance of getting out of this arranged marriage. He knew who he wanted… their lives didn't have to be switched around to match some fairy tale for his mind to know who he had feelings for.

_But would she love _this_ me?_

Lucas shook his head as he slowed down his pace. He hated this book. It was forcing him to be someone he wasn't. He saw it in Riley's eyes earlier that day; she didn't care for what she saw. Lucas desperately wished he knew what tale they were trapped in. Now that he was fully thinking about being trapped inside a fairy tale, he realized he should have asked Riley which one they were in.

_Then again, she may not even know,_ Lucas thought as he kicked a pebble down the path. _Who knows what else this book can do?_

He entered the castle and headed up to his room. Lucas felt that his body was drained after all the events that had happened that day, longing for some rest, which his mind happily agreed on. Once inside of his room, Lucas sprawled out onto the bed, closed his eyes, and the depths of sleep graciously welcomed him.

_**A/N #2: So what did you think? Like it? No? Did I leave you wanting more? Let me know by leaving a review, it doesn't take but a moment :)**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Happy update day! Hope you enjoy it**_

Melissa frantically tore through her closet and chests in search for the perfect dress. It was only a few minutes ago they had received an invitation for the upcoming ball, along with some other information. Prince Lucas was to play tennis with the Marquis de Limoges tomorrow at noon. Although she should have been focusing on how to gain Lucas' attention at the tennis match, her mind was focused on finding the perfect dress for the ball.

"What about this one?" Rodmilla asked, holding up a pastel blue dress.

"It's _blue_," Melissa groaned.

"But Lucas loves blue!"

"Yes and fifty other girls will be wearing the exact same color," Melissa reasoned.

"Right you are my dear," the baroness proudly stated as she set the dress down.

Maya shook her head as she stepped into the room, hearing the last bit of the conversation. If this was indeed 'Cinderella', Missy didn't have a chance, but it was rather entertaining to watch her try and get that chance. "Any luck yet?" she asked.

"No!" Melissa snapped. "Can we focus, please?!"

"Sweetheart, perhaps if I knew what you were looking for?" Rodmilla asked as she stood up, hoping to please her daughter in whatever way she could.

"Something fit for a queen!" the older daughter shouted as she dropped into a nearby chair.

An idea popped into the Rodmilla's mind, and the corners of her mouth turned up into a selfish grin. "Come with me ladies. We must not speak of this to anyone."

Both Maya and Melissa followed their mother into her bedroom, the same smile spreading across Melissa's lips. She led them to the chest by the foot of her bed and said, "Waste not, want not," as she lifted the heavy lid and untied a silken cover, revealing a beaded white, flowing gown. As the baroness lifted the dress out, the small grin that was upon Melissa's lips turned into a huge smile.

"Oh, perfect!" she purred.

Maya reached into the chest and took the matching beaded glass slippers in her hands. "Look at these shoes! Where did you get these?" she asked, not remembering this dress at all in the memories the book had given her.

"They're Riley's… for her wedding," Rodmilla replied, scoffing the thought.

"Cinderella, married? Who would want to marry _that_ girl?"

Maya instantly dropped the slippers back into the chest. If this plan involved stealing something that was clearly Riley's, she wanted nothing to do with it. "If this is Riley's dress, then maybe she'd like to wear it to the ball."

"Since when does a royal function include commoners?" Melissa scoffed.

"Never, but the invitation did say, 'To the ladies of this house'," Maya argued, knowing full well what Riley's position should be, and tried to remind the others of this.

"She's not of noble blood."

"And who would notice?" Rodmilla asked. "No one."

Footsteps sounded behind them, followed by a soft voice asking, "What are you doing?"

Rodmilla and Melissa both jumped as Maya turned around to see Riley standing just inside the doorway, holding some firewood in her arms.

Everyone was silent for a moment before Rodmilla spoke. "Airing out your dress," she lied as she held the dress out in front of her a few inches. "For the masque."

"_Her_ dress?" Maya asked quite stunned. "But you just said—"

"I suppose for a commoner it will have to do," Melissa said, interrupting Maya. "I mean, look at it. It's practically an antique," she finished, brushing her fingers lightly over the silver beading, doing everything in her power not to snatch the dress out of her mother's hands.

"You want me to go to the masque with you?" Riley asked, very surprised at their words.

"But of course Riley! That is if you finish your chores and maintain your behavior until then," Rodmilla replied.

As Riley nodded, she saw Maya roll her eyes and stalk out of the room. This action confused her. If anything, Riley would have thought that Maya would have been thrilled. "What's wrong with her?"

"Oh," Melissa started. "She doesn't want you to go."

Riley raised an eyebrow at Missy's comment, but didn't say anything more as she set the wood down and left the master bedroom. What could she say? That she knew Maya would want her to go because they were best friends in another universe? That would go over well. Then again, maybe she didn't say anything _because_ of this book. Riley sighed and rubbed her hand over her forehead. She felt like she couldn't tell which of her actions were made by her or the book anymore.

* * *

Lucas stood at the edge of the river, skipping stones over the calm water while Signore Da Vinci was doing something with one of his latest projects behind him.

"Do you really think there's only one perfect mate?" Lucas asked as he tossed another stone, his cloak flowing in the gentle breeze that blew.

"I do," he heard Da Vinci say.

"Then how can you be certain to find them? And if you do find them are they really the one for you, or do you just think they are? And what happens if the one for you never appears or you're too distracted to even notice?" Lucas babbled as he continued to debate over finding his only one.

"You learn to pay attention!"

Lucas sighed as he clutched the last stone he had in his hand. "Then let's say, God puts two people on Earth and they are lucky enough to find each other. But, one of them gets hit by lightning. Then what? Is that it? Or perchance you meet someone new and marry all over again, is that the lady you were supposed to be with, or was it the first? And if so, if the two of them were walking side by side, were they both for you and you just happened to meet the first one first, or was the second one supposed to be first?" he rambled as Da Vinci approached the young prince, giving him a puzzled face as he tried to sort out what Lucas was saying. "And is everything just by chance, or are things meant to be?"

Da Vinci shook his head and smiled. "You cannot leave everything to fate, boy! She's got a lot to do; sometimes you must give her a hand!"

Lucas shrugged as he turned to face the inventor. "What's _this_ project?" he asked, looking at the two wooden pieces that looked like small ships without their sails.

"Would you like to see if they work?" Da Vinci asked as he began to take off his shoes.

Both of them laughed as Lucas tossed his final stone into the river.

* * *

Riley walked about the woods, trying to find as many truffles as she could for tonight's dinner for the baroness. She got down her knees and picked a few more. Once the last one was in her basket, she looked down at her hands. They were covered with dirt, and Riley felt as if the rest of her was covered in grime as well. Her eyes drifted to the river which flowed right near her.

_Perhaps a quick swim,_ she thought to herself as she took off her overdress and headed down to the water.

Once she reached the pebble shoreline, Riley waded towards the deeper center and let out a relaxed sigh. The water was the perfect temperature to help cool her down on the hot day. Riley closed her eyes and let her body drift downstream. _If only every day could be like this,_ she thought.

Riley didn't know how long she had been drifting, but the sound of a man's voice forced her eyes open.

"Looks like rain," the voice said.

Once her eyes were open, Riley saw an older man standing above her. She let out a startled scream, causing the old man to lose his balance and sent him tumbling into the water.

* * *

Lucas saw the event happen from where he was standing, but wasn't quite sure what happened. Once Da Vinci was close to the shoreline, he rushed down to meet him. "Signore Da Vinci! Are you alright?"

He nodded as he and Riley walked up to the shore. "I should leave walking on water to the Son of God, but lucky for me I stumbled upon an angel."

Lucas' eyes focused on the young lady that accompanied the thinker. "Comtesse!" he exclaimed as his face brightened at the sight of seeing Riley again.

"Your highness!" Riley replied as she felt her knees buckle underneath her, sending her back into the water. Lucas looked at her with concerned eyes as she stood back up. "Careful, it's, uh, very slippery right there," she explained as she walked out of the water and began to wrap her arms around her body, trying to warm up.

"Here," Lucas said as he took his cloak off and wrapped it around Riley. "Allow me."

"Oh, thank you."

Da Vinci smiled at the two. "Well, if you'll excuse me. I'll let you two talk," he announced as he took his water walking shoes and headed off to dry his clothing.

Both Lucas and Riley made their way up the pebble beach and sat down in the sunshine. Now that they were together again, Lucas felt that he could look at her forever.

"How have you been?" Lucas asked.

"Alright, considering the circumstances of not always being in control of your own actions. How about you?"

Lucas bobbed his head back and forth. "Still getting used to people addressing me as royalty. I am no prince, nor do I want to be."

Riley bit her lip. _Well, I like to think of you as _my _prince._

"Where are your attendants?" he asked, eager to get to know her more.

Riley bit her lip as she tried to come up with an explanation. "I… gave them the day off."

"A day off? From what, life?"

"Don't you ever tire of people waiting on you all the time?" Riley asked, knowing that she was tired of waiting on people.

"Well… yes but, they're servants. It's what they do."

Riley shook her head. "Well I wish I could dismiss mine as easily as you dismiss yours." She rose to her feet and began to walk away. "I must be going," she said.

Lucas stood up and walked after her. "You're mad at me," he observed.

"No."

"Admit it," he said.

Riley stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. "Well yes if you must know!"

Lucas felt his heart fall. "Why?"

"Because you are trying to bait me with your snobbery."

"You are a walking contradiction, and I find that rather fascinating."

"Me?" Riley asked. _He finds me fascinating?_

"Yes, you. You spout the ideas of a utopian society yet you live the life of a courtier," he explained.

"And you own all the land there is yet you take no pride in working it. Is that not also a contradiction?" Riley asked him.

"First I'm arrogant, and now I have no pride. However do I manage that?"

Riley gripped the cloak around her a bit tighter. "You have everything and the world to you has no joy. And yet you make fun of people who would see it for its possibilities," she explained.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "How do you do it?"

She returned the expression. "What?"

"Live each day with this kind of passion," he explained. "Do you ever find it tiring?"

"Only when I'm around you," Riley admitted. "Why do you like to irritate me so?"

"Why do you rise to the occasion?"

Both of them looked into each other's eyes for a moment, and burst out into laughter. After their laughter had settled, Riley heard a faint voice calling her name. She turned to see Maya off in the distance, holding her basket in her hand. Riley turned and faced Lucas again, who appeared not to have seen Maya to her luck. "Forgive me your highness," she replied as she took off his cloak and handed it back to him. "I have lost track of the hour," she finished and headed up the small hill.

"But the wind," Da Vinci said, holding up a flying contraption that looked much like a kite Riley would see back home, "it's perfect."

"I'm sorry," Riley apologized and continued on her way.

"I'm playing tennis with the Marquis de Limoges tomorrow at noon," Lucas called out after Riley. "Will you be there?"

Riley increased her pace to a soft jog and waved her hand in the air. "I must go!" she shouted back to him.

Lucas raised an eyebrow and faced Da Vinci. "Why does she keep doing that?"

OoOoO

The baroness looked down at the pathetic excuses for candles sitting on the table in front of her. They were sitting on small plates instead of their usual candlesticks.

"Paulette," she called to the servant who was standing by the wall to her left. "Where are the candlesticks? I can barely see what's in front of me!"

"They're missing, my lady," Paulette said. "I've searched everywhere for them and they're nowhere to be found!"

"The painting in the upstairs hallway is missing too," Melissa added as she pushed her food around her plate with her fork. "Looks like we have a thief in our midst."

"Is this how I'm repaid?" the baroness asked. "Stealing my husband's prized possessions? I shall garnish your wages until the items have returned," she said to the servants. "Perhaps I'll even ship you off to the Americas," Rodmilla threatened as she took a small bite of her dinner.

Maya swallowed what she had in her mouth and shook her head. "Oh, didn't you hear? The prince when to the king and had him release all of those men!"

"He didn't!" Riley exclaimed.

"Mm," Maya responded. Rodmilla shot a disproving glance at both Riley and Maya, but Maya didn't back down and continued. "Now by royal decree, everyone that sails must be compensated."

"Compensated?" Rodmilla scoffed.

"What I want to know is who this Comtesse everyone is talking about," Melissa said as she lifted her glass up, motioning for Riley to come fill it. Riley nodded and walked over towards her. "There must have been five or ten courtiers talking about her today and how the prince fell all over himself."

"Well we must find out who she is and bury her," Rodmilla declared as Riley reached for Melissa's cup. When the baroness' words registered in Riley's mind, she knocked over Melissa's cup thanks to the distraction, but was able to recover it quickly. The action didn't go without notice from the baroness, as she shot Riley a surprised look as Riley filled up the glass.

OoOoO

Lucas stepped up to the line and served the ball off the side wall, aiming it directly at the Marquis. His opponent hit it and sent it back to Lucas' side. This volley continued for a number of minutes with the eager crowd watching every movement. The Marquis hit the ball with a great amount of force, forcing Lucas to run to the back corner to try and hit it back. He was successful, but he ended up tumbling into the crowd of many women, who were all too eager to help him back up.

Once Lucas was on his feet, he walked out of the crowd, somewhat flustered, and brushed the dirt off of him. He headed back inside of the court and crouched to a ready position, awaiting the Marquis' serve. But instead of serving, the Marquis stood up straight and pointed to something behind of Lucas.

With a questioning look, Lucas straightened himself and turned around to see what the Marquis was gesturing to. Standing right behind him was Melissa, with the tennis ball in hand.

Lucas slowly walked up to her and took the ball from her. Out of respect, he greeted her. "You are looking well, Melissa."

She bowed her head slightly and responded, "You're welcome to look, your highness."

Lucas let out a nervous laugh and returned to the game.

OoOoO

After the tennis match, and upon Rodmilla's request, Lucas joined the de Ghent's around the market area. Most of the time was filled with small talk between him and Melissa which he wished would end. Every time he spent with this family, minus Maya, he wanted to get away as fast as he could. Lucas knew what they were pressing for, and he knew that the marriage between and Melissa would _never_ happen. _But if I could find Riley again,_ he pondered.

The thought was soon pushed out of his mind thanks to Melissa speaking up again. "These are our servants, your highness."

Lucas looked around at the stand they were coming up on. "Really? I'd love to meet them."

Melissa nodded and brought him closer to their stand. The first two women he saw looked to be in quite a shock once they saw him. He didn't know why that was, but he simply smiled and said, "Good day, ladies."

He turned to greet the next servant, but was met with a clucking orange ball flying towards his face. He brought his arms over his face to protect himself as he heard the other two ladies gasp and start to scramble around.

Hurried footsteps came from behind him. "What are you doing?!" the baroness shouted. "Trying to scare the prince to death?!"

Lucas lowered his arms and saw the two ladies standing just in front of him. Both of them were wearing guilty expressions on their faces. "We were startled…" one of them explained.

Lucas stepped towards them and raised an eyebrow. "Were there just the two of you?" he asked.

"And the chicken… your highness," the other lady explained.

* * *

Riley cowered behind a tall barrel as she heard the baroness yelling at Paulette and Louise for scaring the prince. She covered her face with her hands and drew in deep breaths, trying to calm her pounding heart. Riley couldn't believe how close she came to Lucas finding out who she truly was. Throwing the chicken in his face was the only way to get away, and she felt rather bad for having to do that. _Why must he keep popping up?_ she wondered. _He keeps searching for Comtesse de Lawrence, someone who existed for ten minutes to save a man's life._ Riley peered around the barrel to see that Lucas and everyone else had left. She let out a relieved sigh, but leaned her body back behind the barrel; she didn't know how much more of this she could take.

OoOoO

Riley bent near the fire and pushed the logs around, trying to make the flames come back to life as the baroness talked behind her. "We must press for a quick engagement," she declared. "Paris at Christmas! Can you imagine?" she daydreamed.

Riley turned from the fireplace and smiled at her stepmother.

The smile that was on Rodmilla's face fell. "No, I don't suppose you can," she replied, causing Riley's smile to fall as well.

The baroness stood up from her bed and walked over to her chair. "My mother was hard on me too, you know," she said as she sat down. "All she wanted was for me to be the best I could be… and here I am, a baroness. And Melissa shall be queen."

Riley continued to brush the baroness' hair, but her stepmother grabbed ahold of Riley's hand and brought her around to face her. "It's a pity you never knew your mother…" Rodmilla trailed. "There must be a little of her in there somewhere."

Riley bit her lip. "I do wish I knew her."

Rodmilla nodded. "Yes, but we must never feel sorry for ourselves. No matter how bad things get they can always be worse."

"Yes ma'am."

The baroness looked at Riley. "I see so much of your father in you."

Riley's eyes brightened. "Really?"

Rodmilla nodded. "It's like he's looking out of your eyes. Your features are so masculine. No wonder you're built for hard labor," she commented, "being raised by a man and all."

Riley let out her breath. She didn't like the baroness' comment, but she did appreciate that she looked like her dad. "Did you love my father?" she whispered.

Her stepmother closed her eyes and appeared to think about it for a moment. "I barely knew him," she responded in a low tone. "Now go away… I'm tired."

Riley nodded and headed out of Rodmilla's room, trying to control her mournful tears for her father.

_**A/N #2: Hope you liked it! If you could leave a review before you head out that would be great :) See you next week!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Here's the next chapter for you guys!**_

The church bells tolled as the baroness, Melissa, and Maya stepped out of the carriage and headed towards the Cathedral along with several other courtiers. The small group didn't make it five feet before a short man with blond curls came rushing up to Rodmilla. The baroness stopped and allowed her informant to approach her.

"The prince left early this morning," he told the baroness. The royal page took a couple deep breaths to try and steady his heartbeat, and then continued. "It's not known where he went; however, I have brought something that will brighten your day," he finished as he pulled a white cloth from underneath his tunic, being careful not to drop what was hidden inside the folds of the linen. The page handed it to the baroness and whispered something into her ear.

A sly grin spread over Rodmilla's lips as she heard what it was. She replied to him in a hushed tone, and continued on towards the church with her daughters following close behind her. Once she was sure no one outside the family could see her, the baroness opened the cloth to see one of the queen's golden necklaces gleaming back up at her. With this, Rodmilla was one step closer to making Melissa the prince's betrothed.

* * *

After the baroness' carriage departed, Maurice continued on with his work in the gardens. As he wheeled his tools over to one of the far gardens, the breeze started to pick up, causing the leaves on the trees to rustle. However, another noise caught Maurice's attention. It also sounded like a rustling, but not like the leaves. This one sounded more like paper. Maurice shifted his eyes towards the source, and found something that looked somewhat like a bird caught in the tree branches above him.

"What in the world is that?" he asked himself.

"What is what?" a soft voice responded from behind him.

The old servant turned around to see Riley standing behind him, with the rest of his tools in hand. "That," he said as he pointed up to the unknown contraption.

Riley's eyes followed up to where Maurice was pointing, and a small smile spread across her lips. "It's Da Vinci's flying contraption," she announced as she set the tools down on the ground by her feet. "I wonder what it's doing here. He must have let it go when he was testing it." Riley headed over to the base of the tree and started to climb it. "Farkle would _love _to see this!" she thought aloud as she brought herself up on the first branch.

"Even if it's not one of Da Vinci's paintings?"

Riley let out a soft chuckle as she continued to scale the tree. "Anything by Da Vinci would please Farkle!" _He'd probably enjoy this more since it's one of the man's inventions._

After a couple more minutes, Riley had carefully removed the kite from the branches, let it float down, and made her way back down. "I'm going to go show this to him now. He's in the back field painting," she announced.

Maurice smiled as he watched Riley take the contraption in her hands and skip off towards the hay fields. He always enjoyed watching her have some fun, and he knew she deserved some fun right now after all the years of hard work she had given the baroness.

OoOoO

"Look, Farkle! It's floating!" Riley joyfully announced as she guided the kite in the breeze.

Farkle looked away from his painting of the castle and laughed. "Did you expect anything less from Da Vinci? Probably one of the greatest minds that ever lived?"

Riley's smile grew more as she let the kite climb higher. "You know more about his inventions than I do. Makes me wonder if Maya has looked at his paintings yet."

Farkle shrugged as he turned back to his painting and added another layer of gold to the trees' leaves. "Probably not. Her book is on more of the modern artists. Maybe I could get her something about Da Vinci for her birthday," he wondered as he looked over his work. "Or maybe I could paint her something myself!"

"Do you think you could paint like that after we get out of here?" Riley asked as she took a quick glimpse of the painting he was working on.

Farkle sighed as he placed his brush back into the paint jar. "Probably not, I mutilate a stick figure. I feel as if my hand is being guided. It's not my work…" he trailed. "Speaking of guiding, have you told Lucas about who you really are yet?"

Riley nearly let go of the kite once she heard Farkle's question. "No, I haven't. Every time I want to, I feel as if I can't get the words out to tell him, even when we have a bit of freedom to talk. And it's killing me! I hate lying to him!" she replied as she turned away from her friend, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face.

Farkle looked up and saw something that he couldn't quite believe. Lucas and the captain of the guard were riding up towards them. "So the next time you were able to talk freely, like now, you'd try telling him?"

"Of course!"

"Good," Farkle responded. "Because here's your chance, he's heading right this way."

Panic gripped Riley's heart as she turned around and saw Lucas riding closer and closer towards them. She quickly looked around for a place to hide, and dashed behind one of the hay stacks, hoping that Lucas hadn't seen her.

The pounding of hooves stopped as the two looked around the field. "Have you seen Signore Da Vinci? We're supposed to go to the monastery together," Lucas asked.

Farkle's eyes widened. "Da Vinci? Here? No, no your highness, he is not."

Lucas' eyes drifted over to the kite, which Riley was still holding on to, that was floating over the hay stack. "But isn't that his flying contraption there?" he questioned.

Riley head Lucas' words and quickly let go of the string, allowing the kite to float away.

"Oh, yes your highness… it is."

"Then what is it doing here?"

Farkle bit his lip as he tried to think of why. "He loaned it to, uh the…" he babbled. "…the Comtesse de Lawrence! She is a friend of his."

Lucas' eyes seemed to brighten at the sound of Riley's 'name'. "You know her? Please, I must find out where she is."

"I believe, your highness, she is staying with her cousin," Farkle began, "the, uh… Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent," he replied, feeling the glaring gaze of Riley burning on his neck.

"Hmm," Lucas sighed. "That does present a problem," he said, not wanting to go near the baroness… or Missy.

"But," Farkle said, penetrating Lucas' thoughts. "I have it on good authority that she is there… _alone_… by herself… at this very moment," he enforced.

A pleased smile came over Lucas' lips. "Thank you, very much," he replied, and then headed off.

"Farkle! You horrible little snipe!" Riley cried as she came out of her hiding place.

"What? I know you wanted to see him again!"

"Yes, but _he _is headed towards my house!"

"Then I suggest you run."

Riley grinned at Farkle before she turned around and dashed home, jumping over fallen logs and weaving through the trees. She ran as fast as her legs would allow her, which in her opinion wasn't fast enough. Within a couple of minutes, Riley had reached the back door and burst inside. "Paulette, Louise quick!" she shouted.

* * *

Lucas rode up the path leading up to the baroness' home with Captain Laurent riding by his side. He desperately hoped that Riley wasn't doing anything; Lucas would love to invite her to join him in going to the monastery. He brought his ride to a stop and slid off, running a hand through his wind-blown hair as he approached the door. Lucas didn't even reach the door before he saw it swing open to reveal Riley, looking more beautiful than ever.

"Your highness," she greeted, sounding a bit out of breath. "What an unexpected surprise."

Lucas smiled. "Yes well, I was in the area and I thought I would drop by. Forgive my forwardness, but don't you attend church?"

"I find my faith best served away from a crowd, sire," Riley explained.

He nodded slightly. "Yes, my father's edict can prove quite overpowering. Anyway, the reason why I stopped by is because I am heading to the monastery. The monks have a lovely library, and since you are so fond of reading, I thought perhaps you could join me?"

Riley looked off in the distance as he spoke, and saw a carriage heading towards them. Once Lucas was done speaking, she felt herself starting to blush. "It is not fair, sire. You seem to have found my weakness, but I have yet to find yours."

"I would have thought it was obvious," Lucas responded, looking deep into Riley's eyes.

After a brief moment of gazing at each other, Lucas quickly ducked his head, trying to hide his blush. "Captain Laurent. I shall not need you or your services today," he announced, and then turned back towards Riley. "Today, I am simply Lucas," he finished as he offered his hand to Riley, which she gladly accepted it.

* * *

The Sunday service ended, and Rodmilla and Melissa made their way to the doors of the church as quickly as they could, trying to move through a thick sea of people. Once they reached the doors, the two of them saw the royals' carriage still sitting outside of the church, but it appeared like it was going to head out at any moment.

Rodmilla took the cloth bundle in her hand and handed it over to her daughter. "Make haste, Melissa. It's now or never," she whispered.

Melissa nodded as she took the bundle and headed off towards the carriage. "Forgive me, your majesty," she said to gain the queen's attention. "But you appeared to have dropped this on your way out," she finished as she handed the golden cross pendant over towards her.

"My goodness," Queen Marie exclaimed as she took the necklace. "I don't even remember putting it on this morning. Thank you child."

"You are too magnanimous, majesty," Melissa responded as she bowed slightly and slowly started to back away.

The queen leaned in towards someone in the carriage and asked, "What is her name?"

The other woman responded, "Melissa de Ghent."

Queen Marie nodded and called back out to her. "Melissa! You and I shall have a chat tomorrow… bring your mother!"

The corners of Melissa's lips turned up into a smile. "As you wish."

OoOoO

"The prince was not at the service today… we must figure out why," the baroness said as she stepped out of carriage and headed towards the house, with Melissa and Maya following close behind.

"Don't you think you should let the prince make his own decision?" Maya asked. "I mean, it's his life. You've only had two brief encounters with him."

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Maya. Why else would the queen invite me to speak with her if I wasn't one of, if not the only option?"

Maya shook her head and entered the house. "Whatever… I don't care."

"Of course you don't care. The queen doesn't even know you exist, like she doesn't know Riley exists," Melissa responded.

"Speaking of Riley, where is that girl?" Rodmilla asked rather harshly. Riley was usually there to greet them after they had returned home.

"Probably off doing whatever her little heart desires instead of doing what she's supposed to be doing," Melissa scoffed as she entered the house, with her mother close behind her.

As the baroness entered the house, Paulette nervously stepped forward. "Excuse me, madam… but that gilded mirror in your bedroom… did you move it?"

Rodmilla stopped in her tracks and faced the servant. "Of course not, why?"

"It's also missing…" Paulette responded in a low tone.

"Then it too shall come out of your pay!" Rodmilla finished as she headed on up to her room.

Louise shook her head as she approached Paulette from behind. "Either you stop telling her when things go missing, or we'll be paying her to work!"

Paulette shrugged as they headed down into the kitchen. "Good thing I didn't tell her about the tapestries."

* * *

Riley looked at the contents in the wooden shelves as she heard the faint voices of the monks chanting somewhere nearby. "I have never seen so many books in one place before," she said as they headed down to another level. "I feel as if I could cry."

Lucas let out a soft chuckle as he smiled. "Choose one."

Riley shook her head as she brushed her fingertips over the spines of some of the books. "I could no sooner choose a favorite star in the heavens."

"What do you enjoy most?"

"Science, philosophy…" Riley started to list. "I'm simply addicted to the written word. My father used to read to me every night and I used to fall asleep listening to his voice. I suppose they remind me of him." The two of them looked over the banister and watched a few of the monks work below them. One of them was scrolling something in a large book, while another was thumbing through another book as he was walking. They stayed like this for a few moments before Lucas headed down another set of stairs.

"I just don't understand it," he said.

Riley straightened her posture and bit her lip. "Your highness, if it was anything I said –"

Lucas shook his head. "No, it's not that. I recall having the best tutors available to me, and you have more conviction in one memory, than I do in my entire lifetime."

"Are you just talking about here, or back home, too?" Riley found herself asking. She didn't realize she had said anything until she saw Lucas smile.

"A bit of both, actually," he admitted. "Now come on, we should probably head back," Lucas announced as he offered his arm to Riley. Riley carefully walked down the stairs to him, took ahold of his arm, and Lucas led her back outside. He helped her into the carriage and they were off.

As the carriage gently rocked back and forth, Riley rested her head onto Lucas' shoulder and closed her eyes. The combination of the quiet air and the rhythm of the cart was enough to lull her to sleep, but the feeling didn't last.

A loud crack sounded, and Riley found herself lying on top of Lucas, who was now pinned in the corner.

"Riley, are you okay?" she heard Lucas say.

"Yeah… you?"

"Yeah," Lucas responded just as the carriage driver opened the door and reached inside to help the young couple out. Once outside, Riley saw that one of the wheels had broken, making the rest of the journey back impossible.

"We shall head back to monastery at once, your majesty," the carriage driver announced.

Riley bit her lip. She _had_ to get back home! "And we shall continue on foot," she found herself saying as she turned and headed down the path.

The sound of Lucas' footsteps reached her ears as he caught up with her. "Are you sure? It's quite a walk," he asked.

Riley looked up at him and smiled. "Really, where is your sense of adventure?"

Lucas returned the smile as they continued on. "Well, if you put it that way."

OoOoO

"You would think I would know the way back to my own castle," Lucas said, sounding dejected.

"It's not like you lived here your whole life, Lucas," Riley said, as she continued to look around. "Ah, there it is! It's back that way!"

Lucas looked in the general direction that he saw Riley pointing in, and then sighed. "I still can't believe you're up there… and in your undergarments no less!" he shouted up the cliff.

Riley laughed. "That may be, but you're still royalty. What would happen if you fell down and broke your neck? Then where would we be?"

Lucas let out another sigh. "Alright… point taken."

"Now turn around so I can climb back down."

Lucas smiled as he obeyed Riley, but was met with an unexpected face. One he thought he would never see again. The gypsy who had stolen Da Vinci's painting, along with the rest of his band. The man punched Lucas across his face, sending him down to the ground.

Lucas quickly got back up onto his feet and shook off the blow. "It's you again…" he muttered. "Stay aloft madam," he shouted up to Riley as he drew his sword from its scabbard. "There is game afoot."

Once his sentence was finished, the sound of clanging metal filled the air. Riley looked down below her, watching Lucas fight with the man, and her worry was increasing each second for his safety. She continued to make her way down, ignoring Lucas' warning.

As the fight continued, another gypsy, whose hair was draped over his eyes, walked over to wear Riley's dress was lying and picked it up with the tip of his sword. "My wife thanks you for this lovely garment, mademoiselle!" he called.

"You will give me back my dress, sir!" Riley threatened, but the gypsy ignored her warning and continued to laugh as he shifted his focus back to the duel.

Once Riley was low enough to the ground, she planted her feet into the rock face, and she lunged forward, knocking over one of the gypsies. As he struggled to recover, Riley rushed over to pick up his fallen sword, but another one grabbed her and held a dagger to her throat.

With several close calls, Lucas was finally able to knock out the man who challenged him, and then turned to face the others. "Let her go," he panted. "Your quarrel is with me."

The long haired gypsy looked at Lucas, and then nodded over to the one who was holding Riley, allowing her to go free.

But instead of walking away, Riley turned to them. "I demand that you return my things at once! And since you deprive me of my escort, I demand a horse as well," Riley shouted.

The long haired gypsy smiled. "My lady… you may have anything that you can carry."

"May I have your word on that, sir?" she asked, thinking about her next move.

He thought for a moment. "On my word as a gypsy. Anything you can carry."

Riley nodded towards the man, and then walked over towards Lucas. She took ahold of his arm, and draped him across her back, trying to make sure her knees wouldn't buckle under his weight.

Most of the gypsies started to laugh at this sight, but the one she had made the deal with simply stared at her with surprised eyes. Riley returned the look with a pleased smile, and headed on her way while Lucas waved at them, amused that _his _girl had outdone them.

The long haired gypsy let out a laugh as well. "Alright! Come back!" he shouted. "We'll give you a horse!"

OoOoO

Riley and Lucas laughed as they sat by the fire at the gypsy camp. The two of them were playing rock, paper, scissors, and both of them had just thrown paper.

"You are reading my thoughts, my lord," Riley joked.

"Then they are as fuzzy as my own," Lucas replied.

"Then France conceits?"

"Never!" Lucas exclaimed. "My next move," he whispered as he leaned closer to Riley, "will be paper."

Riley raised an eyebrow as the two prepared for the next round in the game. Once they threw their weapon of choice, both of them laughed again. Lucas had tried to trick Riley, but it didn't work. He had thrown rock, and she had thrown paper, making her the victor of this round.

"It is your turn," Riley said as she shifted her legs underneath her to get into a more comfortable position and gave him a smile. "And it better be good."

Lucas didn't return the smile, and instead bit the inside of his cheek. "I have no desire to be king."

Riley's eyes involuntarily widened. "Is that you or the book talking?"

"A bit of both, I suppose."

"But why?" Riley asked curiously.

"Riley, this isn't a class election. I don't want this kind of responsibility without help, but I'm not going to get that here. And who knows how long we'll be stuck in this story."

"Since when did you become the pessimist?" she commented. "Come on, moral compass. It's not all that bad, is it?"

Lucas sighed as he brought himself closer to her. "I'm simply being realistic. In this role, I am born to privilege and with that comes specific obligations. And I'm not sure if I want that."

Riley nodded. "Yes, but think of all the wonderful things you could do! Just because you _could_ become king doesn't mean you have to act like the previous ones. You could help those who are really in need. Even though here your title is different, it doesn't change who you are, Lucas."

After hearing her words, Lucas' mood seemed to brighten. "You really do have a way with words, don't you?"

Riley felt her cheeks starting to heat up. "I'm sorry… my mouth has run off with me again."

Lucas smiled at her and gently shook his head. "No, don't be. For your mouth is what has me hypnotized," he said as he began to lean closer to her.

Riley's stomach started to tighten with excitement as their lips met for a gentle kiss. It didn't last long; however, the two young lovers leaned in for another one, savoring the feeling between the two.

Their second kiss was interrupted by the sound of joyous laughter and whoops coming from the gypsies. Lucas and Riley ended the kiss and looked at the band, who appeared to be enjoying the sight. The two of them looked at each other with looks of slight embarrassment, but ended up joining in the exuberant laughter as well.

OoOoO

Riley's arms were wrapped around Lucas' waist as they rode back to her home, the moon's light guiding their way. Once the entered the gate, she whispered, "Let me off here, I do not wish to wake the others."

Lucas brought their horse to a stop, slid off, and helped Riley down. Once she was in his arms, he smiled. "You saved me back there, in the woods."

Riley returned the smile. "A girl does what she can, sire."

"Lucas," he corrected.

"Lucas," she echoed just before the two of them shared another gentle kiss.

Riley began to head down the path, but stopped at the sound of Lucas calling out to her.

"Do you know the ruins at Amboise?" he asked. Riley nodded in response, and Lucas continued. "I often go there to be alone. Will you meet me there tomorrow?"

"I shall try."

"Then I shall wait all day."


	9. Chapter 9

Riley awoke to the feeling of something sharp, or rather a bunch of things that felt like needles pressing into her skin. She arose with a gasp and quickly saw the baroness holding the other end of the broom. Melissa was standing beside her, and Maya was standing a few feet away from them with her arms crossed.

"Are you ill?" the baroness spat.

"No!" Riley replied as she tried to sit up in bed, but felt as if a hundred bricks had been dropped on her. She placed a hand over her face and fell back into her mattress. "Ugh, yes."

"Where were you yesterday?"

Riley lowered her hand and sighed. "I got lost," she replied. She knew the baroness wouldn't accept that answer. Riley, apparently, knew the area better than she knew the back of her hand, but at the moment, she didn't care that her answer would be less than acceptable. All she wanted to do was fall back asleep and dream of Lucas.

Rodmilla narrowed her eyes. "You're hiding something," she concluded. "I demand to know what it is!"

"Well could you tell me what it is so I can get back to sleep?"

Melissa and Rodmilla looked at each other, then back at Riley. "What about our _breakfast_?" Melissa complained.

"You have two hands," Riley started. "Make it yourself."

It took everything Maya had not to laugh out loud at Riley's comment. She knew Missy wouldn't take it well, and she rather enjoyed the fact of Missy getting a taste of her own medicine.

"Why you lazy little leech!" Melissa cried.

"You better be out of that bed and tending to your chores in five minutes," the baroness threatened right before she headed down the stairs with Melissa right behind her.

Riley slowly rose to a sitting position and rubbed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Riles. I wish there was something I could do," Maya commented as she walked closer to her friends.

Riley sighed as she swung her legs over the edge of her bed. "It's not your fault Maya. There's not exactly much that you _can _do. Unless you somehow know how to get us out of here."

"Sadly, I don't." Maya paused before continuing. "So, where were you last night?"

Riley bit her lip as she picked up her work dress from a nearby wooden chair, allowing her best friend to study her actions.

"You were with Lucas, weren't you?"

Riley simply nodded as she slipped the dress on and pulled her bangs back out of her face.

"Ha!" Maya called. "I knew it!"

"Just make sure you don't tell the baroness, okay?"

"Don't worry, Riles. She won't find out from me. But you will tell me about what you two did later, okay?" Maya responded, waving a finger in her best friend's face as she spoke.

Riley laughed as she knocked Maya's hand away. "Don't worry, I will."

OoOoO

Riley made her way out to the water pump to fill up the bucket in her hands. It hadn't rained in days, and their crops were in much need of water, much of the evidence being kicked up from Riley's gentle steps as she walked. She didn't even lay her hand on the pump's handle before she heard her title being called.

"Mistress!" she heard. Riley turned around to see Paulette leaning out of the window with a worrisome look plastered on her face. "You better get in here quick!"

Riley dropped the bucket in her hand and dashed into the house, taking the stairs that stood in front of her two at a time. Once she reached Paulette, the servant directed her towards the baroness' room. Riley rushed towards the master bedroom, and when she stepped inside she did not like what she saw.

Maya's expression was one of anger, while the baroness was holding up Riley's mother's dress to Melissa's body.

"What are you doing?" Riley demanded.

"Trying on my dress," Melissa replied in a matter of fact tone.

"Did you really think I'd let you go to the ball after that display this morning?" Rodmilla asked.

Riley rolled her eyes. She didn't care about going to the ball; she knew the baroness didn't mean what she promised in the first place. "Do you honestly think these games you're playing will win you a crown?!" she cried. "You're hunting royalty, and it's disgusting!"

"You're just jealous," Melissa spat as she tossed the dress onto the bed.

Riley grabbed the glass slippers. "These are _my mother's,_" she stressed.

"Yes," Melissa sneered. "And she's dead."

"Melissa!" Maya shouted, knowing she was asking for trouble.

Riley didn't hear Maya's shout. All she felt was something inside of her snap as she felt her free hand tighten into a fist. Her rage overpowered her. Riley walked right up to Melissa and brought her fist up to Melissa's face, delivering a punch with enough force to send her stepsister tumbling back over the bed, sending her feet over her head as she fell off the other side.

Melissa's eyes grew wide as she saw Riley dart towards her at full speed.

"I am going to rip your hair out!" Riley shouted as Melissa scrambled away and out of the room, sending pleading screams to her mother to do something.

Melissa's shrills echoed off of the stone walls as she ran down the stairs, barely escaping Riley's reaching hand. "You little witch!" Riley shouted as they reached the main floor and headed into the dining room.

She almost had Melissa cornered around the dining room table, but Melissa shifted her path and went back the way she came, heading back towards the fireplace. Melissa stumbled over her undergarments and placed her hands on the wooden chair near the fireplace to steady herself. Her eyes shifted to something that was sitting in the chair by her hands. Her bargaining chip. Melissa grabbed what was in the chair, Riley's book _Utopia_, and held it over the flames.

"Get away from me or I'll burn it! I swear I will!"

Riley's eyes widened as she put together what was now happening. "No! Melissa, don't!"

The anger Riley was feeling was starting to subside, but it was being replaced by fear of what her stepsister might do. "Put it down!"

"Give me the shoes!" Melissa screamed.

"Put it down!" Riley repeated, practically pleading her.

The room's doorways were filled with servants trying to get an idea of what was going on, along with Rodmilla parting through them with a worried Maya close behind her.

"It appears you have a choice, Riley. Your father's book, or your mother's shoes. Neither decision will spare you from a sound lashing!"

Riley's eyes drifted from Rodmilla, to her book, then back to Rodmilla. As much as she wanted to keep her mother's shoes, her father's book was probably the most important thing to her. It was, in this world, the last thing he gave her. Riley slowly raised her arm towards her stepmother, and Rodmilla snatched the shoes from Riley's grip.

Once Rodmilla had the shoes in her possession, Melissa threw the book into the flames, allowing it to burn.

"No! No!" Riley shrieked as she lunged towards the fire to try and spare her book, but Rodmilla held her back. "No, no!" she repeated as hot tears began to burn her eyes as she saw the title of the book being turned to ash. Riley felt as if her heart broke. Here she thought one of her memories would be spared, and yet here she stood empty handed. And all she was going to get in return was pain, emotional and physical.

Riley felt Rodmilla's hand lay on her shoulder, applying slight pressure to lead her towards the doorway. Once she passed Maya, she noticed her best friend's eyes were filled with tears as well, along with anger. As Riley walked towards her fate, she felt as if her world was coming to a standstill, and felt it stop once the first blow landed upon her bare back.

OoOoO

Maya lifted some pieces of cloth that were drenched with an ointment Farkle had made for Riley's injuries and placed them on the deep wounds, feeling her best friend wince under her fingertips. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Maya repeated as she continued, trying to keep more tears from spilling from her eyes.

"I don't know what's come over me," Riley muttered into her pillow.

"I do," Maya responded. "Missy is lucky that's _all _you did!"

"But that's not me!"

"Riley, anyone is capable of that given there's enough reason. Missy shouldn't have said that!" Maya said, trying to comfort her. "But it was hilarious to see Missy's feet fly over her head like that!"

Both of the girls chuckled as Maya continued to care for Riley's wounds. "Is this helping?"

Riley nodded. "Very much," she replied, trying to hide the pain in her voice. "Thank you."

Maya sighed as she covered the last wound. "You know I'd do anything for you… although it feels like I haven't been doing a very good job of that lately."

Riley returned the sigh. "Maya, it's not your fault. It's this darn book!"

"We need to figure out how to get out of here. This stupid tale needs to end!"

* * *

"You must have my physician look at that," Queen Marie said to Melissa as she glanced at the darken bruise around the young woman's eye. "To think you saved that baby from a runaway horse."

Melissa's lips spread into a cunning smile. "It was a maternal instinct, majesty."

Queen Marie returned a gentle smile as she gazed at the mother daughter pair sitting across from her in the palace garden. "I do wish to apologize to you, ladies. I had intended for my son to join us, but he seems to have disappeared again. He had left early this morning, and he was gone all of yesterday and didn't come back until dawn!"

Rodmilla felt her fingers tighten around her tea cup. "Well, things will happen."

The queen nodded. "Perhaps you could help us solve a mystery. Do you know the Comtesse de Lawrence? Apparently she's staying with a cousin, but no one seems to know who!"

The baroness' eyes narrowed once the name was spoken. The whisper of a memory suddenly came to the front of her mind. "Riley de Lawrence?" she asked.

Queen Marie's eyes brightened. "Oh yes! That's her! I was beginning to think Lucas was getting inspiration for projects from a ghost! Like his latest project to build a university. It's such a relief to hear that. Do you know where she's staying?"

Rodmilla nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid she's been around for years… and staying with us as a matter of fact. Isn't that right, Melissa?"

Her daughter nodded in response, but seemed rather confused. She still hadn't caught on at who this person was, but kept up with the charade. "Yes… of course, our cousin."

"Whom you like to call Cinderella," Rodmilla mumbled through gritted teeth.

When Melissa heard the nickname she had given Riley, the puzzle pieces fell into place in front of her eyes. She felt her anger start to boil inside her, and her eyes began to narrow. _You will pay, Riley,_ she thought. _You _will _pay for trying to ruin my chances._

* * *

Riley carefully stepped through the trees, making sure not to trip over any roots or stones while not aggravating any of her developing scars on her back. She picked up her skirts and lengthened her stride; the ruins seemed to come closer to her than the pace she was walking at. It broke her heart as she came closer to her meeting spot with Lucas. What she wanted to do hurt so much. She couldn't see him anymore. She couldn't lie to him anymore; she loved him too much to do that. And if she had to, she was going to try and tell him who she truly was.

It wasn't long before she saw Lucas sitting in the archway of an old window. He didn't notice her until she was a few feet closer. Once he locked eyes with her, his face brightened.

"Hello," he greeted, giving her his million watt smile.

"Hello," she returned, trying to keep back the tears.

Lucas walked up to her and handed her something. "Here. You left your book in the wagon yesterday."

Riley took the book back and opened her mouth to speak, but Lucas beat her to it. "I want to show you something," he said as he took ahold of her hand and led her over to one of the crumbling stone walls.

He stopped the two of them and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Look."

Riley did as she was told and what she saw took her breath away. The view here was magnificent. She couldn't get that every day back home, and she found herself drawn to those open spaces.

"Your highness…"

Lucas shook his head. "What did I tell you about that last night? I care about you too much for you to call me that, even though I'm not exactly a prince… if you get what I mean. These past few days have been simply amazing for me, and I hope they have been for you too. I wasn't exactly thrilled to find us stuck here, but as long as I'm with you, I think I'll be fine with it," he confessed. "Now, what is it you wanted to say?"

Riley bit the inside of her cheek, still trying to fight the tears. "Just simply that last night was the best night of my life," she breathed, letting a single sob escape.

Lucas turned her around to face him and cupped his hand on her cheek. "Riley, I am in love with you. And tomorrow at the masque, I shall make it known to the country."

Riley let a tear escape her eyes, which Lucas gently brushed away with his thumb. "Why did you have to be so wonderful?" she replied.

"Because this is who I am," he replied, right before he brought his lips to hers for a kiss.

Riley found herself kissing him back, not knowing whether he was saying the last part because of the book, or if he genuinely meant that. She wished this moment was real. It was here, but she meant back home. She felt Lucas's hand move towards her back so he could deepen the kiss, but she let out a small cry as his hand reached the tender skin.

Lucas looked at her with concerning eyes. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Riley looked down at the ground, not able to answer his question, but finding the urge to get away from this moment as fast as she could. "I must go," Riley replied, crying as she turned away from him and took off as fast as she could.

Lucas followed her for a few steps, but soon found his legs frozen to the ground. Despite how much he yearned to go after Riley and figure out what was wrong, he couldn't. And it hurt him so much.

OoOoO

Riley walked down the path towards the front door to her house, now in her usual servant's dress. She had the other one she wore to see Lucas folded over her arm. As the distance between her and the house grew shorter, Riley felt her heart grow heavier. She had failed in accomplishing what she set out to tell Lucas. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, and now she felt like her staying silent will only hurt him more in the long run.

Once she reached the door, Riley quietly opened the heavy wooden door, and did her best to make as little noise as possible when she closed it. She started to head up the stairs to put the dress she had borrowed away, but came face to face with her stepmother before she could do anything.

"Of all the nerve," the baroness began in a cold manor, "turning your mother into a Comtesse. It's almost as deceitful as a prince who spends his days with a servant who sleeps with pigs."

Riley simply looked at her stepmother as she caught Melissa coming up behind the baroness out of the corner of her vision. She honestly didn't care about hiding it anymore, even though the baroness already knew. "What bothers you more stepmother? That I am _common_ or that I am _competition_?"

The baroness didn't answer her. "Where is the dress Riley?!" she shouted, drawing the attention of everyone nearby, including Maya, who was slowly inching towards Riley.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

Melissa crossed her arms. "The gown, the slippers… they were in my room this morning and now they're gone. You hid them, I know it!" she sneered.

Riley felt her eyes begin to burn from tears of anger starting to form. "Where are the candlesticks, and the tapestries, and the _silver_, and everything else that belonged to my father?! Perhaps the dress is with them!"

Rodmilla shook her head, not believing her. "You produce that gown or—"

"I would rather die a thousand deaths than see my _mother's_ dress on that _SPOILED SELFISH COW_!" Riley shouted as she pointed at Melissa. But once the words tumbled from her mouth, she instantly regretted saying them.

The baroness' eyes narrowed into slits. "Then so be it," she growled as she grabbed Riley by the arm and forced her down the stairs.

"Get in there!" she yelled as she threw Riley into the pantry and locked the door behind her. The baroness turned around to see many of the servants sharing a look of surprise at what just happened. "Make sure none of you open this door, or I will make you regret ever stepping foot in this house!" she threatened as she breezed by them. "Melissa, Maya… gather everything that will fetch a price. We will be going to the market tomorrow morning."

"But it's only a ball!" Maya reasoned.

The baroness turned to face her, only long enough to give her a disapproving glance and head back up the stairs.

Maya looked back towards Riley's prison, desperately trying to find a way to free her friend. But something wouldn't let her move an inch closer to the pantry. With a heavy and tear filled sigh, Maya headed back up the stairs. As she made her way up, she caught Paulette's arm and whispered, "You get Riley out of there. I don't care how, but promise me you and the others will find a way. She needs to be at that ball."

Paulette nodded at her. "I shall try, my lady."

* * *

Lucas felt his heart shatter into a million pieces after he heard what his mother had to say. "What?" he asked in shock. "No, it can't be so. She can't be going away."

The queen nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so. She's traveling by boat this afternoon. I'm afraid she won't be returning."

Lucas shook his head as he brought his hand over his eyes. He knew this couldn't be happening! _What fairy tale sends the true love away?!_ he thought. "I should have seen it coming. She looked upset when I saw her today. There I was pouring my royal heart out and she was simply trying to bid me farewell!"

Queen Marie walked up to Lucas. "Sweetheart, don't take it out on yourself. Think about how hard it was for her to try and tell you that she could never see you again while you're trying to steal her heart."

"Yes," Lucas said in a low tone. "And what a clumsy thief I have turned out to be," he finished. Lucas turned on his heel and headed back up to the castle, through the gardens.

"But Lucas," he heard Queen Marie shout. "Any choice is better than Spain!"

_**A/N: What did you think? Let me know by leaving a review!**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: I am so sorry that I did not update last week. Finals took up majority of my time. Anyway, here's the next chapter!**_

Farkle walked down the stairs and moved to head down the street; however, he didn't make it twelve feet from the door before he felt someone grab ahold of his upper arm and brought him back behind the corner of his studio. He looked up at who had grabbed him, and saw the face of Maurice looking at him with concerned eyes. The concern spread over to Farkle. Maurice wasn't one to be like this, so something _must_ have happened.

"What happened?"

Maurice let go of Farkle's arm and shook his head. "The baroness found out about Riley. One thing led to another and she locked her into the pantry. Paulette and the others are working on how to get her out now, but I fear they won't be able to. You must go to the prince and tell him what's happened!"

As much as Farkle wanted to help Riley and go to Lucas for aid, he found himself shaking his head. "I am a nobody! The prince would never see me!" he heard himself say.

"You are her friend. She needs your help! The prince expects to see her!" Maurice reasoned.

Farkle sighed. "Of course I want to help Riley, but my master has me working tonight."

Maurice peered around the corner, and then faced Farkle again. "Then go to Da Vinci. Surely he'll let a painter see another painter."

When Farkle heard Maurice's suggestion, he felt his mouth go dry. _Go to Da Vinci? Is this guy insane?_ "I am but an apprentice, and Da Vinci is the greatest painter in the world! How could I ever speak to him?"

Maurice rolled his eyes. "For heaven's sake, man. Be bold! The ball is starting soon. If you really care about Riley, you_ will_ find a way to help her," he finished, then headed back into the market.

Farkle watched as Maurice disappeared into the crowd and let out a sigh. What Maurice had said was right. He needed to do something if he wanted to help Riley. Farkle looked back at his studio, and then out towards the castle. People were already making their way towards the castle for the ball. With one final gulp, Farkle headed out into the crowd, weaving in and out of people who were in his way. It didn't take Farkle long to reach the gate, which was now his first problem. How to get in without an invitation?

Farkle ducked behind a wall as he thought. _Come on, Farkle! Riley is depending on you!_

A sharp whistled tune interrupted his thoughts. Farkle peeked over the edge and saw one of the guards standing on the other side, looking from side to side to make sure no one was watching him, and then sat down.

Farkle studied the man. From what he could tell, they were both about the same size. If he could just get the uniform, he would be able to get inside the palace to look for Da Vinci. Farkle looked around him and found a heavy pot sitting nearby. He picked up the pot, leaned back over the edge, and called out to the guard below. Once the guard looked up, Farkle let go of the pot, sending it crashing down on the guard's head and knocked him out.

Farkle rushed around the wall and rushed over to the guard's side. He was out cold, like Farkle had hoped. He dragged the guard over to a dark corner and put on the guard's uniform. The apprentice headed through the castle gates undetected, and began his search for Da Vinci.

Once he reached to court yard, he began asking people if they had seen the painter. After a few people hadn't been able to give him any information on the man, one of them was finally able to point towards the old gentleman talking to a group of people. Farkle thanked the woman, and headed in the direction she had pointed.

After each step he took towards Da Vinci, Farkle felt his nerves escalate exponentially. Once he was a few feet from the man, Farkle gulped nervously and said, "Signore Da Vinci," just before he passed out and fell onto the ground.

However, the man he spoke to didn't say anything, but the older man who was beside Farkle looked down to him and asked, "Yes?"

* * *

Paulette groaned as her latest attempt at trying to get the lock off of the pantry failed. "Oh, Riley, it's no use!" she shouted into the dark pantry while Riley sat in the corner.

"Allow me," a man's voice said behind all of the servants.

Everyone stepped aside and allowed the old man through, who was followed by Farkle. The old man looked over the wooden door, shifted it over towards the hinges, removed the hinges' bolts, and shifted the door out of its frame.

All of the servants looked at the man in awe as he and Farkle headed inside, followed by Paulette, Maurice, and Louise.

Riley looked up and saw her visitors, laughing as she saw how Farkle was dressed. "Farkle, how?"

"Maurice said the prince was expecting you."

"Come along, now," Paulette urged. "We have to get you ready for the ball!"

"I do not wish to go," Riley replied, shaking loose of Paulette's grip.

"But if you stay," Louise broke in, "the baroness wins!"

Riley sighed as she faced Da Vinci. "He's expecting someone who doesn't exist. Signore, there is no Comtesse de Lawrence. My name is Riley Matthews and I am only a servant."

Da Vinci shrugged his shoulders. "So? I am the bastard son of a peasant. What does that have to do with it?"

"But I have deceived him…" Riley trailed.

"Then he deserves to hear the truth from the one he loves," Da Vinci said.

Riley weakly smiled and pulled Da Vinci in for a hug.

"Oh, let's not waste any time," Paulette said as she took ahold of Riley's arm and led her out of the cellar. "Maurice, get the dress!"

* * *

Lucas gazed out of the hallway window as the full moon's light shone into the castle. His heart felt like lead. He couldn't believe Riley was going away and would never return to him – _France, I mean_, he corrected in his thoughts. But who was he kidding, over the past few days his feelings for her had deepened, and he knew that no book could govern how he was feeling about her right now. But he had to move on. How, he had no clue.

Footsteps echoed throughout the hallway as he heard people approaching his position. They had stopped after a few moments, and the voice of the king soon filled the hall. "I understand you wanted to see me?"

Lucas turned around to face him. "Yes… I-I do."

King Francis dismissed the guards that had accompanied him and approached Lucas. "Listen, Lucas. Perhaps it was unfair of me to put so much pressure on you as I did… about the marriage contract. I just thought it was time to make some changes in your life. We don't have to announce anything tonight, there's still time—"

But Lucas shook his head. "I have made my decision," he responded, his voice suddenly very deep.

"Oh…"

* * *

Riley opened the front door and gathered her skirts as she headed towards the carriage that was waiting for her. Both Paulette and Louise helped her inside and shut the door behind her. With a click from his tongue and a flick of the reigns, the carriage driver headed down the path.

"She looks like a masterpiece," Farkle commented.

"She looks like her mother," Louise said as she watched the carriage go further down the path.

"Come now, lad," Da Vinci said to Farkle. "How about you show me these paintings of yours."

"Now?" Farkle asked a bit in shock.

"Son, when you're as old as I am, now is all you have," he explained as he began to lead Farkle away, but Paulette stopped them.

"Wait," she said. "It's tradition!"

Everyone's eyes shifted to the carriage just as it was about to reach the gate. Riley stuck her head out of the window and waved to her 'family' as the carriage continued on its way to the palace.

* * *

The trumpets sounded as the royal family took their places at the front of the courtyard. All eyes were on them, waiting the decision on who Lucas would pick to be his bride.

"Friends, honored guests… it gives us great pleasure on this festive occasion not only to honor Signore Da Vinci, who seems to have disappeared, but also to tell you on long awaited decision. So, without further ado, it is my great privilege to announce the engagement of our son, Prince Lucas, to—" he said just before he was cut off by Lucas clamping his hand on the king's shoulder. His eyes were focused at the other end of the yard.

A muttering began to trickle through the crowd as they questioned about why Lucas had stopped his father, and they all turned around to see why.

A beautiful young lady was standing at the top of the steps in a white beaded and embroidered gown that had lovely fairy wings attached to the bodice. A half circle of gems studded her forehead, while her mask was a thin coat of glitter on her face. Her dark brown hair was elegantly braided and done up.

Lucas' eyes brightened and his lips curled into a delighted smile. _Riley!_

He sprung from his place and headed towards her, the people parting before him like the Red Sea for Moses.

The king looked at the lady standing at the edge of the court yard. "Who is that?"

Queen Marie smiled. "My guess would be the Comtesse de Lawrence."

"Oh… who?"

The queen merely laughed at her husband's response.

Once Lucas reached her, he felt as if he were dreaming. "My mother was told you were going away for the benefit of your family," he breathed.

Riley shook her head. "No, she was misinformed. But I must tell you something before another word is spoken."

"I don't care what it is," he responded. "All I care about is us being together," Lucas finished as he took ahold of Riley's hand and led her up the parted sea of people.

"No, wait!" Riley urged, but Lucas didn't hear her. He was far too eager to announce his love for her.

However, the baroness had seen it all. Her eyes went red with anger, and made her way through the crowd, towards Riley and Lucas.

"What are you doing?" Melissa asked.

"Making you a princess!" she responded, just before she reached out and grabbed one of Riley's wings, dragging Riley back towards her, and ripped off the wing her hands had taken ahold of. "How dare you!" she shouted as she threw the wing onto the ground.

"Madam, contain yourself!" Lucas shouted back.

"She is an imposter, your highness."

"No!" Riley shouted as tears began to fill her eyes.

"Her name is Riley Matthews and she has been a servant in my house for the past ten years," Rodmilla exclaimed.

"A servant?!" the king shouted. "Lucas, what is this?!"

Lucas' eyes shifted between Riley and the baroness. "Madam, you are on dangerous ground!" he replied, not wanting to believe what was happening. "Tell these people who you are," he said to Riley. "Tell them!"

Riley simply looked at Lucas, trying to keep her tears from spilling over.

"Riley?"

She inhaled deeply. "Lawrence was my mother's maiden name… I am what she says."

Lucas' expression fell as he began to put the pieces together. "The apple? That was you?"

"I can explain," Riley whispered.

Lucas wanted her to tell her that she didn't need to explain. He knew that she wasn't able to tell him, and he didn't care. But that's not what he was allowed to say. "First you're going away, and now you're a servant?!" he spat, also finding himself trying to prevent his own tears from flowing. He didn't want to say these things! All he wanted to do was to have Riley in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay. "I have heard enough," he finished and turned back towards the rest of the royal family.

"Lucas, please!" Riley begged. The rest of the crowd gasped at hearing a commoner speak the prince's first name.

Lucas turned back around. "Do not address me so informal, madam. I am a prince of France… and you are just like them."

Riley couldn't control the tears any longer as she turned around and dashed out of the court yard. Seeing Riley like this tore Lucas' heart apart. He hated himself for saying those things, even though he knew there was nothing he could do to stop himself.

* * *

Riley continued to run out of the castle grounds and out of the entry gate. She allowed herself to look back, only causing herself to fall into the ground. Once she stood up, she saw Da Vinci a few yards away, giving her a questioning look. Riley didn't respond, and simply dashed away.

Da Vinci looked at where Riley had stood, and saw that one of her slippers had stayed behind. "Riley!" he called out, hoping to get her attention, but she was not turning back. If anything, her pace increased.

OoOoO

Da Vinci found Lucas sitting at the top of one of the towers, looking as if his world had come to an end.

"What have you done?" the painter asked, hearing that he had chosen to wed the princess of Spain.

"I have been born to privilege and with that comes specific obligations," Lucas replied in a monotone voice.

"That's a load of bull, and you know it."

Lucas' eyes flashed at Da Vinci, and if the old painter knew Lucas any better, he would have guessed the prince had been crying just before he had found him. "You are out of line, old man."

"No, you are out of line! Do you have any idea of what she went through tonight? She came to tell her the truth, and you fed her to the wolves!"

Lucas looked as if he wanted to say something, but bit his lip and kept his mouth shut.

"She's your match Lucas. And if you're so dumb that you would still go through this arranged marriage, then you don't deserve her," Da Vinci said just before he set a glass slipper on the edge of the castle wall, and then left Lucas alone.

Lucas looked up at the shoe that the old man had left. It was beautiful, just like its owner. He got to his feet and went over to it, not taking his eyes off of it. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed wet circles starting to form near it. The rain began to pelt harder, some of the droplets bouncing off of the glass and making a small 'ping'.

He took the shoe in his hands and sighed. Lucas closed his eyes and muttered a silent prayer. _Please, if it's meant to be, let me have her._

Lucas brought the glass slipper to his chest, and soon found it hard to distinguish his own tears from the pouring rain. He didn't know how long he had been standing that way, but a something clicked in his mind.

_One glass slipper…_

…_A prince…_

…_A mystery girl…_

The revelation hit Lucas like a ton of bricks as he staggered back. He and the others were trapped inside of a Cinderella story. Which one, he didn't know, but the general similarities were there.

Now that he somewhat knew how this story would end, at least for him and Riley, only one important question remained.

How was he to get out of the arranged marriage?

_**A/N #2: **__**Dun dun dunn! What did you think? Just to let you know, I may have to switch to updating every other week. See you next time!**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: Hey all. Just so you know (if you haven't realized it already), I'm going push the updates to every other week. Don't worry, it'll be worth it in the long run, I promise!**_

Riley thrust the spade into the dry earth, trying to let out all of her frustrations of last night pour out into her work. Frankly, it wasn't working as well as she hoped, but that didn't stop her from continuing the process. It probably would have worked it she was actually focused on her task, but her mind was wandering to a certain prince that she was still in love with…

"I have it on very good authority that, before your little interruption, the prince was going to choose Melissa for his bride." the baroness' voice said as it cut through the air, making Riley stop once the voice reached her ears.

Riley didn't bother to respond. Instead, she gathered what she had harvested and started to place them into a basket near her feet. The last thing she wanted to hear was the baroness gloat over her near victory.

Her lack of response didn't stop the baroness from talking though. "Isn't it amazing?" she continued. "Men are so fickle. One moment they're quoting sonnets, and the next you're back to being the hired help. But I do say, I haven't seen so much dedication in your chores."

Riley picked up the basket and walked up the path towards where her stepmother stood. "What makes you think I do any of this for you?" she spat, disgusted that the baroness would think that.

Rodmilla stepped in front of Riley. "Let me pass," she demanded.

"You brought this upon yourself you know," the baroness responded, ignoring Riley's request.

"I have work to do."

Rodmilla's eyes narrowed. "Let the others handle it."

Riley shook her head and pushed past the baroness. "Don't you see?! You've won!" Riley shouted as she turned back to face her stepmother. "Go, move into your palace! And leave us be!"

"You are not my problem anymore."

Riley froze after hearing those words. "I-Is that what I am? Your _problem?!_" she stuttered as she brought her free hand to her chest. "I have done everything you ask and yet you still deprive me of what I've always wanted!"

Rodmilla tilted her head. "And what would that be, exactly?"

"What do you think?" Riley responded after she felt herself deflate a bit. "Even in its smallest chance, did you ever love me at all?" she finished, trying to choke back the tears she started to feel form.

"How can one love a pebble in their shoe?"

Riley nodded as she bit her lip to try and suppress a sob. However, she was not allowed to dwell in the moment before another voice came through the silence.

"Riley!" Paulette shouted. "My lady! It's back, all of it!"

Riley looked at the baroness, then took off towards the front of the house to see what Paulette had meant. Once she was there, she saw a huge cart filled with her father's possessions. At the moment, Paulette, Louise, and Maurice were unloading it, commenting on how they were amazed to see it all again, and about some of the articles' condition.

Standing near the back of the cart was a man Riley wished she could avoid at all costs.

"Ah, Monsieur le Peau," the baroness said. "Right on time."

Pierre le Peau flashed the baroness a wicked smile, showing off his crooked teeth and allowing his cold blue eyes to glimmer. Riley remembered knowing this man for several years, and always remembered that she was trying to get away from him. le Peau was a creep, to put it nicely. He always had an eye on Riley, despite the fact he was twice her age, but that didn't stop him. He was determined to have her, one way or another.

"Everything is here, baroness. Right down to the very last candlestick," he said smoothly.

"My father's books, his paintings… you sold them to him?!" Riley cried.

"Yes," Rodmilla said in a matter of fact tone. "And now they're back. I can't have us looking like paupers if the king decides to come by."

"Thank you, sir," Riley said through gritted teeth. "This means the world to us."

Pierre tugged on the edge of his black silken glove and grinned again. "I am a business man, Riley. Not a philanthropist."

Riley raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"He sold it back to us. You for all of this. I can't have the prince distracted with you around," the baroness explained. "However, I do think I'm getting the better end of the bargain."

Riley looked at the baroness with confusion, but she found her answer when two of Pierre's men grabbed ahold of her arms and started to drag her towards the cart against her will. Riley's cries filled the air as she desperately tried to pull herself free and make the men's task more difficult. The other servants also tried to help Riley escape, but Pierre's men pushed them out of the way as if they were a mere pebble in their path.

Out of the corner of her eye, Riley saw Maya step out of the house. Soon, the air was filled with her cries as well as she tried to fight her way to her best friend.

"Maya!" Riley cried over her shoulder. "Maya, help!"

Maya took off from her position on the front steps and charged towards Riley, ready to tear the men who had her limb from limb. She was about two strides from reaching her before another one of Pierre's men grabbed Maya, preventing her from going any further. Maya tried everything she could to break free, but the man was too strong for her.

"Riley!" she shouted again as tears began to spill from her eyes, just as they forced Riley up onto the cart.

After the two men were finally able to get Riley up onto the carriage, Riley saw her world crumble before her as Pierre climbed up next to her and the cart pulled away from her childhood home.

The other man didn't let go of Maya until the cart containing Riley was far down the path; too far away for her to try and catch up to.

Maya looked over in the direction where her mother was standing. But she was no longer there. There wasn't even any dust settling, meaning that she had probably left soon after Maya had come outside.

_How could she do this?!_ Maya wanted to scream, but she knew that wouldn't help anything. She didn't even know what to do now.

_Maybe Farkle would know._

With that thought, Maya gathered her skirts and dashed into town as fast as her legs would carry her.

OoOoO

"What?!" Farkle gasped after he heard Maya's story.

"She's gone!" Maya repeated. "The baroness sold her. We have to find a way to tell Lucas. I can't reach him before the wedding, but maybe you can. Then maybe we can figure out how to save Riley."

Farkle sighed. "Do you even think any of the courtiers would _allow_ me to see him?

"You have to try, and right now you have a better chance than I do. I highly doubt the court will allow me to run up to him while he's at the altar."

Farkle raised his hands in a mock surrender. "Okay, Okay, I'll go," he replied. "If I get to him, I'll try and let you know."

"Okay," Maya responded just as the cathedral bells started to toll. "Now go."

He nodded and headed down the studio steps and sprinted towards the cathedral. Despite the wedding not happening for another couple of hours yet, there was a large crowd growing outside. Farkle tried to squeeze through, but the people wouldn't budge. In fact, a few of them pushed him further back and muttered something about a stupid commoner.

Farkle tried going in through different doors, but either the crowd pushed him away or an unknown force planted his feet into the ground. It seemed like no matter what he did, Farkle could not reach Lucas, no matter how hard he tried.

_**A/N #2: Review, review, review lovelies! :D**_


	12. Chapter 12

Lucas stood near the altar with the bishop, waiting for the wedding to start. He knew he was only standing there for about ten minutes or so, but it felt like an eternity to him. Every so often, Lucas found himself pulling at the collar of his ceremonial garb, feeling as if it were much too constraining. All he wanted to do was get out of the church and run as far away as he could, but he felt like his feet were glued to the floor, not allowing him to move at all.

The choir finally started to sing. The beautiful sounds of the Kyrie* filled the cathedral, signaling the start of the wedding. Lucas found himself getting lost in the music, but a strange sound that echoed the grand hall brought him back to reality.

He turned to see where it was coming from.

It was coming from the bride.

As she came closer, the sound of her sobs grew stronger no matter how hard she appeared to silence them.

Once she reached him, her sobbing increased. Lucas turned his head towards the king and queen and gave them a look that appeared to say "Really?"

The singing slowed to a stop, and both Lucas and Gabriella faced the bishop. The bishop raised his arm to begin the ceremony and started to chant in Latin, which ended up leading to the princess sobbing even louder, nearly deafening Lucas in the process.

The guests all chanted back, "Amen."

The bishop then gestured to the kneelers in front of the prince and the princess. As they started to kneel, Gabriella tried to stifle her sobs, but failed once her knees hit the kneeler. Once again, her sobs filled the cathedral as she hunched over the top of the kneeler.

Lucas cringed at her cries. He couldn't do this. Lucas didn't want this marriage, and it was clear she didn't want it either. Whatever her reasons were, it was clear he had to stop this before it got any further.

He soon found himself laughing at the whole situation. Why, he didn't know, but he found himself enjoying it. Lucas stood up and brought the Spanish princess to her feet. He removed her veil, and she immediately started to babble something in Spanish, to which he tried to understand. All he could catch was that she was in love with someone else.

"Madam… madam," he said. "I know exactly how you feel."

The princess' eyes widened as he extended his arm towards a Spaniard who was wearing black, mourning the loss of his love. Lucas laughed as the two of them dashed towards each other. He took off his cloak and headed out of the side door, ready to find Riley.

Lucas jogged passed all the carriages, but brought himself to a halt when he thought he recognized someone. He turned around and saw the servant that Riley had saved and ran up to him.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"The baroness?" Maurice asked.

Lucas merely shook his head. "No, Riley."

Maurice's eyes fell. "She has been sold, your highness."

"Sold?" Lucas echoed as he felt his heart fall. "To whom?"

"Pierre le Peau, your majesty," Maya said after catching up to him.

Lucas turned to face Maya as he worked out a plan in his mind. He faced Maurice once again. "Tell no one we have spoken. For all shall reveal itself in due course," Lucas explained as he took off towards the stables.

Once he started to head off, Maya took off after him. "Lucas, what are you doing?"

Lucas stopped and turned around. "I'm going to go get her. She belongs with us, not some creep."

Maya nodded and opened her mouth to say something, but someone else's voice cut through the silence.

"Lucas!" Farkle shouted as he ran towards them. He stopped just short of his two friends and struggled to catch his breath. "Lucas… Riley… is…"

"I know, Farkle. I just found out," Lucas said while walking over to Farkle. "Will you guys help me get her?"

Both of them nodded. "Stupid question, Lucas," Maya responded. "But yes. Now come on."

* * *

Riley staggered towards the door, trying not to trip over the shackles that bound her ankles as she carried le Peau's sword collection to where he currently was. While trying to balance all of the swords in one hand, she brought her sweat slicked hand to the door and knocked.

"Enter," his voice boomed from the other side.

She carefully slipped through the door and stepped inside, the chain of the shackles jingling as she walked. Once Riley was in le Peau's line of sight, a wicked smile spread across his lips which sent a chill down Riley's spine.

"Oh I do hate to see you in irons," he purred as Riley approached the table. "I would remove them if you promise not to run away again."

Riley placed the swords on the table. "I have no reason to stay," she replied as she began to fiddle with the swords, trying to make them lay flat.

"You belong to me."

"I belong to no one," she spat in reply.

"Have you considered my offer?"

Riley felt her stomach churn when he brought up the offer once again. She didn't want to think about it at all. The fact that he was old enough to be her _father_, and he was offering her that was _far _from platonic_._ Just thinking about it made Riley want to throw up… it was utterly disgusting and wrong. "I'd rather rot," she said through gritted teeth as she turned away from him to leave, but she wasn't able to. His hand caught a hold of her shoulder, making Riley's skin crawl.

"I do wish you would reconsider," he said slyly as he wove his hand through her hair. "You know, I had a horse like you once. Almost willful to a fault," Pierre explained as he continued to stroke Riley's hair. "It too just needed to be broken."

"You will maintain your distance, sir," Riley said as she tried not to display her fear of him while he brought her hair to his lips.

"You didn't say please," he purred.

Riley reached behind her and caught ahold of the hilt to Pierre's dagger and unsheathed it. She spun around and placed it against his throat. "Please," she spat.

"I could hang you for this," the man exclaimed.

Riley glared at the man. "Not if you are dead," she said through her gritted teeth.

"I do love a woman with spirit," he said suavely as he tried to move her hand away and kiss her.

Riley twisted her wrist to release it from his grasp, then brought the dagger up and slashed it across Pierre's face, causing him to stagger back into a chair in pain. This was enough of a distraction for Riley to pull a sword from the table and point it at him, her glare set in stone.

"My father was an expert swordsman monsieur; he taught me well. And I swear on his grave if you do not let me go, I will slit you from navel, to nose."

The sight that was in front of Riley pleased her. Pierre was trembling so hard. He had no idea that she was capable of this. To be honest, Riley didn't know she had it in her either. She knew it was the book that was having her do this, but for once she felt confident about herself.

Pierre's hand continued to shake as he handed Riley the key. "Your freedom, my lady."

Riley snatched the key from the man's hand and quickly removed the shackles. Once she was about to walk out the door, she turned back around to face Pierre. "And if you follow me, my promise of killing you still stands," she said, and then headed out of the castle, happy to be free.

Just as she walked out of Pierre's castle, or what she liked to call a dungeon, what she saw surprised her. Lucas was walking up to her, while Farkle and Maya were still sitting on their horses.

Riley bit her lip as Lucas came closer to her. He was still dressed in his wedding garments, but he appeared not to care.

"Hello," he spoke.

"Hello… what are you doing here?"

Lucas let out a small chuckle before he answered. "I came to rescue you… it appears I'm a bit late for that. But since I'm here," he continued as he pulled something from underneath his tunic, "perhaps you could help me find the owner of this rather remarkable shoe."

Maya groaned in the background, but neither Lucas nor Riley heard it. "Where did you find that?"

"I didn't, a friend did. She is my match, and I need to know that I haven't lost her," Lucas responded.

Riley's eyes filled with tears as she walked over to the low stone barrier and sat down. "It belongs to a peasant who only pretended to be a courtier to save a man's life."

Lucas nodded as he knelt before her. "Yes, I know. However, I kneel to you not as a prince, but as a man in love. And I would feel like a king if you, Riley Matthews, if you would be my wife," he spoke as he slid off her work shoe and slipped on her glass slipper.

Riley covered her mouth as her tears turned from tears of sorrow to happiness. She nodded and spread her arms. Lucas smiled, took her in his arms, and began to spin her around.

Hurried footsteps approached the happy couple. The two of them looked up and saw Farkle and Maya giving them congratulatory smiles.

"Bout time you two got together," Maya joked. "So what's next?"

"Well…" he trailed. "I was going to get married today…"

Lucas watched both Maya's and Farkle's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wait, what? You _proposed_ to her?" Maya asked for clarification. Neither she nor Farkle could hear what their friends were saying, so they assumed they had only gotten together. "Lucas, even though we appear older here, we're still technically fourteen."

Before anyone could answer, they all felt themselves walking towards their horses.

"It looks like we don't have a choice in the matter," Farkle commented as they mounted their horses and rode back to the castle.

_***Don't know if many of you know what this is, so for those of you who don't know, it's a prayer that is chanted in the Catholic Mass at a certain point. This is the version sung in Ever After: /watch?v=5Ud0jQN1dlg and it's beautiful! Frankly, I don't know why they put it at that point in the Mass because that's not where it belongs, but… whatever XD It's pretty!**_

_**A/N: Hope you liked it! See you in two weeks!**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: Oh goodness! I realized once I was heading to work this morning I didn't update yesterday! My bad!**_

Riley tightened her grip around Lucas' waist as they continued to ride down the path. Pierre's home was quite a ways away from the castle itself, but for some reason the trip didn't seem to take that long. Perhaps it was because she was with her friends now instead of getting dragged away from them. Whatever it was, she was enjoying herself.

As the castle seemed to get closer towards them, Riley bit her lip. "Hey Lucas?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't you feel a bit weird about… well, you know…"

"Heading to our wedding?" he finished for her.

"Yeah," Riley replied in a small voice. "I mean, what is going to happen when we get out of here?"

She saw his head bob back and forth slightly. "I honestly don't know. Since we're not technically adults I don't think it would be legal back home," he answered.

"Oh…" Riley replied, a hit of sadness lingered in her voice.

Lucas smiled softly. "But that doesn't mean anything about our relationship."

Riley tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"We've been on a few dates… how about making it official when we get out of here?" he offered.

It was Riley's turn to smile. "I'd like that. Very much."

Soon after their conversation came to a close, the four friends rode up to the stables, dismounted, and headed to the throne room. Like Lucas had hoped, the king and queen were in there, still in their wedding garments, and waiting impatiently.

"Mother, father," Lucas began as he walked towards them with Riley on his arm. Farkle and Maya stood behind them.

The two royals turned to face their son. Queen Marie's eyes brightened as she recognized the young lady on Lucas' arm, and King Francis' face softened a bit as well.

"Sweetheart," the queen began. "You found her?"

Lucas nodded. "Yes. She is my match, and I will let nothing stand in our way. I sought out love, and this was what I came up with. And to me, there is no other choice."

The queen clasped her arms as Francis approached the two. He stopped just in front of Riley, not saying anything for a few moments. Riley was growing concerned, but she soon saw his smile grow wider. "You have chosen wisely, my son," he announced. "Welcome to the family," the king greeted as he spread his hands in a welcoming manor.

Riley returned the smile, happy to finally be accepted by the king. Considering the last time they had encountered each other, he was not thrilled at all.

Francis' eyes drifted to the two people standing behind his son and future daughter-in-law. "And who, pray tell, are they?" he asked.

"Your highness," Riley began. "This is my friend, Farkle, and my stepsister, Maya."

The two of them bowed before him as they were introduced.

The king nodded in response, then called out in a loud voice. "Louis! Send for the bishop! Margot, find something for the ladies and for the young man to wear. We have a wedding to prepare for!"

OoOoO

This time as Lucas stood by the altar, he felt excitement instead of regret. Farkle, who was standing beside him as his best man, was grinning from ear to ear. Lucas kept glancing towards the back of the cathedral, eager for everything to get started. He couldn't recall the last time he felt this excited about anything. Or perhaps he could… when a certain young brunette fell into his lap, three times.

Once his thought ended, the choir began to sing. The words of 'Ave Maria' echoed throughout the halls as he saw Riley walk through the tall arch in the back and make her way towards him. Maya was behind her, making sure her train didn't get tangled as she walked.

Lucas' breath was taken away when he saw her. The dress itself was very simple. A white satin gown whose neckline scooped down slightly, but with Riley wearing it… she was so stunning. To him, it seemed to enhance her natural beauty.

She finally reached him, and the two of them smiled at each other. It was finally happening.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," the bishop chanted while making the sign of the cross.

"Amen," the small wedding party responded.

"Dearly beloved, we come together today on this very joyful occasion to witness the exchange of vows, to witness the exchange of love between Riley and Lucas and to witness their entrance into a covenant relationship between one another and with Jesus Christ Himself.

"My dear friends, you have come together in this Church, so that the Lord may seal and strengthen your love. Now, in the presence of the Church, I ask you to state your intentions. Lucas and Riley, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?"

The two of them looked into each other's eyes and nodded. "Yes."

"Will you love and honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives?"

"Yes."

The bishop nodded. "Since it is your intent to enter into marriage, please join right hands and declare you consent before God and His church."

Lucas took ahold of Riley's hand and took a deep breath as he began to repeat after the bishop. "I Lucas, take you, Riley to be my wife. I promise to be true to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

"I Riley, take you, Lucas to be my husband. I promise to be true to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life," she also repeated, but was amazed by one thing. Riley didn't feel the words being forced out of her. Her love and loyalty to Lucas were real… even here.

"You have declared your consent before the Church. What God has combined, men must not divide. And now for the rings," the bishop finished as he turned to Farkle.

Farkle stepped forward and handed the golden plate that the rings sat on. The bishop took them into his hands, blessed them, and handed them to the bride and groom.

"Riley, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," he declared as he slid the delicate ring onto Riley's finger.

Through tears, Riley did the same. "Lucas, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

"Congratulations," the bishop announced. "By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Lucas and Riley turned to each other. He leaned in and gave his new bride a gentle kiss. It was light and pleasant, yet still full of love.

The sound of applause soon filled the church, congratulating the young couple. Maya was the first one to approach them. "I'm really happy for you two, but I have to run. Rodmilla is probably wondering where the heck I am right now!"

Riley laughed. "No problem. Make sure to tell Maurice and the others."

Maya smiled. "Don't worry, I will," she replied and headed out.

The next ones to come up to them were the king and queen. "I must say," Francis began, "why didn't you announce her at the masque? You found your true love, even though she was a servant I shouldn't have gotten in the way, but yet you decided on Spain. Why?"

"I was told she was leaving," Marie spoke.

"Really?" the king replied. "Who said that?"

"Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent, Riley's former employer."

"And stepmother…" Riley added. "It was her intent for my other stepsister to marry Lucas. Whatever the cost."

The king nodded. "Well, I guess we shall just have to invite the de Ghents to the palace then."


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: My baaaaaaaaaaaad. I've been so crazy with work and other projects that keep piling up. Anyway, here it is!**_

Maya rounded the back corner of the house and headed towards the kitchen's entrance. She still couldn't believe that Riley and Lucas were now married… _married!_ Maya thought those two would eventually tie the knot, but not this soon! _However, there are unknown forces at play here,_ she thought as her eyes glanced up at the sky above. She placed her hand on the door handle and slowly opened the heavy wooden door, trying to make as little noise as possible. Once Maya stepped inside, she saw Paulette standing a few feet away from her, watching her enter.

"Hi, Paulette," Maya greeted.

"My lady," she replied. "Lunch is almost ready. And you better watch out for your mother. She's been planning ever since both she and Melissa returned from the… almost wedding on how Melissa will marry the prince. That and she's not too thrilled that you disappeared after –"

"Paulette, Paulette!" Maya interrupted as she placed her hands on the servant's shoulders. "Melissa isn't getting married to the prince; she's never getting married to him. He's already married."

Maya watched the servant's eyes widen. "What? To who?"

"Riley."

Paulette gasped. "My feathers! When did this happen? How did he find her?"

"I told him where she was after he ran out of the church, then he, Farkle, and I went and got her. They were wed not a half hour ago."

Tears filled Paulette's eyes. "I wish I could have seen it, but I'm glad she's happy! I have to tell the others!"

Before anything else could be said, the sound of the baroness' voice filled the house. "Paulette! We are waiting!"

The servant rolled her eyes as she gathered the soup bowls and the bread and set them onto a tray.

"Do you need any help?" Maya asked.

Paulette shook her head. "Nay, my lady, but thank you," she responded as she picked up the tray and headed up the stairs to the dining room.

Maya followed her up the stairs and headed to her place at the table. She could feel the glares coming from the baroness and Melissa, but she couldn't care less what they thought about her.

"Where were you?" the baroness asked.

A small smile crept onto Maya's lips. _This could be fun messing with them!_ she thought. "I had something I needed to take care of in town."

"Oh, you remembered to take care of your silly errand, yet you couldn't remember to talk to the prince about Melissa? Do you even care about the future of your family?"

"How was I supposed to know he'd come flying out the side door?" Maya defended. "He was supposed to be getting married."

Melissa shook her head as she set down her spoon. "I heard the prince talked to you. What did he say?" she snarled.

"It's hard to remember the exact words," Maya began as she picked up a bit of bread. "It happened so quickly. But I do remember him saying something along the lines of, 'Serves me right for choosing a foreigner over your… sister."

Maya watched as Rodmilla and Melissa looked at each other and started to giggle, thinking she had meant Melissa, and not Riley. _Oh how I love being deceiving._

It wasn't long after that conversation had ended that their door's bell sounded. All three ladies sprung to their feet, with the baroness' and Melissa's mouths still half full of soup and bread. Melissa was the first to reach the doors, but Rodmilla had pushed passed her to greet their guest.

Captain Laurent stood proudly before the steps of the house and announced, "His supreme majesty, King Francis, has requested an audience of the Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent and her daughters."

Rodmilla raised an eyebrow as a small smile spread across her lips. "Oh?"

The captain nodded. "Yes, and he mentioned for you to arrive in style," he finished as he gestured towards the royal carriage standing behind him.

Melissa squealed as she dashed inside to get ready. The baroness nodded towards Laurent. "Then in style we shall be!"

* * *

Rodmilla, Melissa, and Maya glided into the throne room and approached the royal family. Once they reached the bottom steps of the thrones, they all bowed before the king, queen, and Prince Lucas.

"Baroness de Ghent," King Francis began as she looked up at him and smiled. "Did you in fact, lie to her majesty, the queen of France?"

Rodmilla straightened her knees as the crowd of people witnessing the confrontation started to murmur.

"Choose your words carefully," Queen Marie stated. "For they may be your last."

The baroness bit her lip as she thought of what she was going to say. She could feel the blood draining from her face with each passing second. "A woman would do practically _anything_ for the love of a daughter… perhaps I did get a bit carried away…"

"Mother, what have you done?!" Melissa shrieked. "You majesties, like you I am just a victim here. She has lied to us both and I am ashamed to call her family!"

Rodmilla's mouth curled into a snarl. "How dare you turn on me!" she shouted as she shoved Melissa away from the royal family.

"Do you see what I have to put up with?!" Melissa shouted

The king slammed his staff into the floor. "Silence! Both of you!" He shook his head and looked at Maya. "Goodness, are they always like this?"

"Worse, your majesty," Maya laughed.

"Baroness de Ghent," the queen spoke. "You are hereby stripped of your title, and you and your horrible daughter shall be shipped off to the Americas on the first available boat. Unless, by some miracle, someone here shall speak for you."

A look of horror spread over Rodmilla's features as she backed up the aisle. Her eyes were pleading with each person as she passed them, but all she received were cold hard glares. It appeared that no one was going to say anything, but a familiar, yet unexpected voice, spoke up.

"I shall speak for her."

Everyone who was present in the room started to kneel, including a shocked Melissa who couldn't fathom what she was seeing.

In fear, Rodmilla turned around to see Riley, wearing a flowing red velvet gown. Her hair had been brushed and it was pulled back, and a jeweled crown sat atop her head.

Riley stepped towards the woman. "She is, after all, my stepmother."

Rodmilla grimaced as she knelt before her stepdaughter. "Your highness."

Lucas smirked at the interaction between the two. Rodmilla was finally getting a taste of her own medicine. "Melissa," he began, deciding to spread the 'wealth'. "I don't believe you've met my wife," he said. Melissa bit the inside of her cheek as her eyes narrowed and she turned her head away from him. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing, let alone experiencing.

Riley looked down at Rodmilla and began to speak. "I shall let you know that after this moment, I shall forget you and never think of you again. But I can assure you that you will think of me for every moment for the rest of your life."

Rodmilla looked up at Riley, her eyes still narrowed to slits. "And how long shall that be?"

In a loud voice, the new princess declared, "All I ask your majesties, is that you bestow the same courtesy that she had bestowed upon me."

The king nodded. "Guards, take then below to the servant's work area."

OoOoO

Da Vinci pulled the velvet cloth from over his latest painting: a portrait of Riley. It hung in the dining room of Riley's old home, and the four friends looked at it in awe.

"Oh Leonardo, it's wonderful!" Riley complimented as she enveloped the painter into a hug.

"Think of it as a belated wedding present, your highness," he replied.

Farkle let out a stifled laugh, catching Riley's attention. "What?" Riley asked.

"I still can't get over it… your _highness_," he laughed, earning a well-deserved smack upside the head from Maya.

"So, now what's supposed to happen?" Maya asked. "The story is more or less finished, isn't it? I mean, what else could be left?"

Farkle slid to her side and smiled playfully. "Who knows, maybe the story continues and has the dashing young stepsister fall for a lowly apprentice," he attempted to flirt.

Maya rolled her eyes as Riley tried to suppress a laugh. "No. Not going to happen."

Farkle's face fell at her response. "Oh… well, how about maybe dinner after we get out of here."

Maya bit her lip as she muttered a response. "Perhaps."

"Wait, what?" Farkle responded as his eyes widened.

Maya's eyes widened as well. She didn't think she said what her answer was aloud, but she didn't have a chance to respond as they felt another pull.

"Such a wonderful job, sir," Lucas said to Da Vinci. "But for a man with such incredible talents, it doesn't look a thing like her," he teased.

Da Vinci looked at the painting, and then back at Lucas, looking very confused about the prince's words. His reaction over it made Lucas laugh.

Riley shook her head and took ahold of Lucas' hand. "You, sir, are supposed to be charming."

Lucas took ahold of her other hand. "And we, princess, are supposed to live happily ever after."

"Says who?"

Lucas paused to think about it, and raised an eyebrow. "You know what? I don't know."

The two of them leaned in towards each other for a kiss, but time seemed to slow down as they inched closer.

Suddenly, Riley's vision faded, and all she could see was a dark gray cloud surrounding her. An unknown force jerked Riley from where she was, and her feet no longer touched solid ground. She felt her silken garments start to change into something else, and her head grew dizzy.

_So much for finishing the story,_ was the last thing she thought before she blacked out.

_**A/N #2: So, what do you think is next for the gang? We shall find out soon! Now, I shall pass the writing torch to one of my fellow writers. See you next time!**_


	15. Chapter 15: An Announcement

Fellow readers,

I understand that all of you eagerly wait for updates, and when a "long" gap comes between updates, it can seem frustrating. Especially since quite a few GMW fanfics update quite frequently. Originally when we first started posting, we were hoping there would be enough time for the next part of the journey would be ready by the time the previous one finished. It was looking good.

We haven't left this story. However, _life happened_ and we couldn't do anything about it. It's hard to deliver when you barely have any free time.

I get that you want more. Believe me when I say that we want to give you more, but school has started for many, and this is not an exception for us. When some people say "where's the next chapter?" and tacking on "not trying to be rude" after saying that… you are. We have lives outside of fanfiction, and this is supposed to be fun for the writer and the reader. Personally when I get reviews like that, it makes writing feel like a chore. It shouldn't feel like that, and seeing those reviews hurts us! We want to update, and if we had time to do so, we would. What we need is your support, and please keep this in mind when you review. And while I'm addressing this specifically for The Elite, this applies to fall fanfiction writers. If there's a long break in between chapters, stop and think. If they had the material to update, they would.

I also want to thank all of those who have been very patient in regarding chapter updates. Seeing those reviews means the world to us, and we're hoping to have something up sometime in the future. We're not sure when that will be, but we're hoping that you'll stay with us until that happens.

Sincerely, ~cowgirlangel95 – member of The Elite; writing on behalf of all members.


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